LONDON • England fans came to Wembley on Thursday to celebrate the career of their greatest scorer, Wayne Rooney, and left singing the praises of 18-year-old Jadon Sancho, who gave a wonderful performance on his first start.
Sancho, who has been in scintillating form for Borussia Dortmund this season with five goals and eight assists in all competitions, lived up to his moniker as the "assist king" by setting up Trent Alexander-Arnold's first goal for his country.
But the winger was not the only young player to impress, with Ben Chilwell, Harry Winks and Alexander-Arnold all excelling in a dominant England display.
The Three Lions eased past the United States 3-0 on Rooney's international swansong with Jesse Lingard and debutant Callum Wilson also getting on the scoresheet, and the forward feels he is walking away from the national team knowing that it is "in very safe hands".
An emotional Rooney, who now plies his trade for Major League Soccer's DC United, told reporters afterwards that the sky was the limit for Gareth Southgate's men.
"The way they are being coached is brilliant, it's a great group of young players who have a bright future. They will go close to being the next team to bring a trophy back for England," he said.
Although the decision to honour Rooney with a first cap in two years divided opinion, the biggest cheer of the night was reserved when he entered the field just before the hour mark on his 120th international appearance.
"It will live with me for a long time," he added. "It is something which created debate because it was the first time something like this happened.
"But it is the right thing to do for the players if you achieve and leave your mark on the England team."
The 33-year-old also tipped Harry Kane, who has scored 19 times, to break his record of 53 goals for England.
Before the kick-off, the Tottenham striker and Football Association chairman Greg Clarke made a presentation, and Rooney told BBC Radio 5 Live that he hoped he would be the one "presenting him with the trophy" in the future when Kane surpasses his mark.
The England captain did not get the chance to bridge the gap as Southgate prioritised keeping most of his key players fresh for Croatia's visit tomorrow.
Should England avenge their World Cup semi-final defeat by Zlatko Dalic's men at Wembley, they can build on the progress made in Russia this summer by qualifying for the semi-finals of the inaugural Nations League.
"It has been a brilliant year, no matter what happens on Sunday. We've had real shoots of progress and achieved some outstanding results," said Southgate. "But everybody wants to get to a semi-final out of a very tough group so it would be a really big step forward."
And, after starring on just his second appearance, Sancho looks set to be unleashed against Croatia's backline.
"I'm so pleased for him. Only 18, to put in a performance like that," said Fabian Delph, who was the skipper on the night. "It was a very mature performance. He's a special talent."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE TIMES, LONDON
