The achievement of Westwood’s career has been that he recognised what was happening and had both the hunger and the desire to do something about it. His work with the former Leeds United and Aston Villa fitness coach Steve McGregor has been the key to what he has achieved over the last three years. “I tell Steve the muscles I need for my golf swing and he works out the programme to develop them. The big thing I have discovered is that you have to be in very good physical condition if you want to make any changes to your swing.”

Westwood’s new dedication is also evidenced in his meticulous commitment to a proper diet. He has cut his body fat percentage while increasing his weight. The result has been a general improvement in his game and marvellous consistency. He played a four-iron to the fiendishly difficult par-3 fourth yesterday that was a shot of exceptional quality. It set up his second birdie of the day.

This performance in the Masters has been coming from Westwood as he contended in the US Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship in the past two years. He has been knocking on the door, each time with more conviction. An American writer asked Westwood if his and Poulter’s performance did not verify the renaissance of British golf.

He got that look from Westwood, the one that indicates a little impatience. “Well, yeah,” he said, “if you needed verification, if you had not bothered to look at the world rankings and seen how many English players were up there, and three in the top 10; we’re not up at the top of the World Rankings by mistake you know.”

Another Englishman whose career seems set to continue on an upward trajectory is James Milner, the Aston Villa midfielder. Although he was on the losing side in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final - Villa lost 3-0 to Chelsea - Henry Winter, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, saw enough to convince him that Milner has what it takes to be a contender for a first XI place at the World Cup.

Milner’s marvellous stamina kept him going, demonstrating why he deserves Capello’s approval.

A schoolboy sporting prodigy, Milner was an outstanding cross-country runner, as well as a 12-year-old cricketer for Yorkshire, and his lung-power and

will-power carried him up and down Wembley’s atrocious pitch, barring the pause when checking whether his knee still worked. O’Neill was incensed by Terry.

“It’s horrendous for an England team-mate to do that,’’ said the Villa manager.

“James Milner is exceptionally lucky that his career is intact. It’s a straight red card. He’s very sore and very, very lucky.

“He’s got away with it because his leg is in the air. His knee bends. James was turning away and he comes in, catching him and it should have resulted in a red card.

“I don’t know what’s in people’s mind. It’s an obvious red card. You don’t need four replays.’’

When Terry behaves like this, he needs another talking-to from Capello.

When Milner performs like this, threatening from central midfield as well as covering back, he looks first XI material for Capello, let alone a squad member. He was comfortably man of the match whatever the sponsors’ bizarre choice of Didier Drogba.

Unfortunately for Milner, England are hardly short of heavyweight operators in this midfield area.

Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry hold while Steven Gerrard drifts in from the left, Wayne Rooney drops deep and Theo Walcott drives down the right, but Milner represents a substantial alternative in all positions.