Fabian Delph hesitates before revealing the name of the book he is reading. “I can’t say, it’s got a swear word in it,” the England midfielder says sheepishly, before relenting: “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F--- ... I mean, from the title, it goes against the stuff that I read. My wife bought me it.

“I’m really not the guy that needs to go around thinking I don’t give a f---. If I have that mentality, I’d probably be a nightmare. It’s interesting. The title is not what’s in the book.”

It is not. Mark Manson’s self-help guide can be described, in a nutshell, as finding out what is truly important to you and letting go of everything else. It kind of sums of Delph’s career, in which, at 29, he has learnt to become a squad player at Manchester City and a senior figure in the England squad and has reaped the reward.

That role developed at last summer’s World Cup – where, incidentally, Delph’s love of reading led him to encourage other England players to do so – and has sustained him throughout a season where he admits he has been “frustrated” at not playing more for City.