John Terry is the hero of Berlin, writes Oliver Holt

John Terry was the hero of Berlin long before he scored England's winner in the Olympic Stadium last night.

Not just because, yet again, he got back up when he had been knocked down. Not just because he laughed at adversity.

Not just because he refused to buckle when Scott Carson's indecision entangled him in Germany's soft equaliser.

Terry has become an expert at bouncing back from things that would destroy lesser men, so it was no surprise when he did that again here.

But his main contribution was just being here. He set a captain's example when he got on the plane and refused to succumb to injury.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were not here. But Terry was. Terry put himself on the line and the team around him responded magnificently.

It is a sign of the times that we should be at once impressed and grateful that Terry put himself on the line to play for his country.

His level of commitment should be the minimum expectation and to suggest otherwise is to risk the scorn of those who see our elite players as pampered and fickle beasts.

But these are different times. This is an era where Premier League clubs can exert pressure, both subtly and overtly, on their players and encourage them to regard international duty as an inconvenience.

This is an era where the commitment to international football is often the first thing to be sacrificed when the calendar is crowded and the title race is gaining pace.

It is in that context that Terry's determination to play in the Olympic Stadium last night gains added significance.

The foot injury he sustained against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend gave him an excuse to pull out of the trip to Germany if he wanted it.

Chelsea are at a crucial stage of their season, after all, caught in a relentless battle with Liverpool at the top of the table and facing a trip to Bordeaux in the Champions League next week.

But even though so many other senior players were absent, even though the odds were stacked against England last night, Terry didn't use that excuse.

Instead, he bucked the trend. He showed up for a friendly when he could have pulled out.

His presence was a statement that if England are to keep improving, if they are to have any real chance of being contenders for the 2010 World Cup, then every game has to matter.

The importance of Terry's gesture of commitment was evident right from the start last night when England came out full of confidence and verve.

They didn't play like a team of under studies, reserves or afterthoughts. They played like they were the real deal. They played like men who wanted to make a statement.

They went at Germany straight away, attacking them with pace and poise, making their defenders look nervous and uncomfortable.

Shaun Wright-Phillips was like quicksilver on the right, Gabriel Agbonlahor was a constant threat and Jermain Defoe linked well with both of them.

Gareth Barry, the only outfield player who has played in every one of Fabio Capello's matches as England manager, held everything together in the centre of midfield.

And Stewart Downing, who has so often been a disappointment in an England shirt, had one of his best games for the national team, capping a fine first half display with a left-foot drive that stung the hands of Rene Adler.

All of those performances undermined the argument that international friendlies are rendered meaningless by the mass withdrawals that often afflict them.

Because the position of those who missed the match here last night, whether it be for genuine reasons or otherwise, was weakened by their absence.

Barry has strengthened his role as Capello's first-choice central midfielder, increasing the pressure on Lampard and Gerrard if the England manager picks a formation that makes him choose between them.

Agbonlahor's composure and assurance on his debut suggests that he, too, may soon be pressing for a place not just in the squad but in the first team.

The point is that gradually, as England continue together momentum, the stakes are getting higher for those who miss a game.

The pressure on places is building and a feeling is taking hold that England are capable not only of qualifying for South Africa but doing well there, too.

Playing for England has ceased to be the slow torture of constant criticism it so often was under Sven Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren.

After so long being mocked by disillusioned fans, there is suddenly a cachet about playing for England again. The pride is seeping back.

Instead of looking for a way out, players are looking for a way in.

More and more, there is a feeling that reputations count for nothing under Capello, that no one's place is safe.

Terry's determination to play last night was a symbol of the changing mood.

The next time England play a friendly, when England are a few months closer to the World Cup finals, the injury list may suddenly not be quite so extensive.