'I was playing free, I had a smile on my face!' - Curtis Jones reveals motivation behind brilliant back-heel goal on full England debut against Greece in Nations League win

Jones marked his full debut by scoring England's third in the 3-0 win over Greece in the Nations League. The Liverpool midfielder was on top form for the Three Lions, putting in a stellar performance and finishing the game with a flourish that sparked widespread praise on social media. The 23-year-old revealed after the game that he was simply playing with a smile on his face.

Speaking after the game, Jones said: "When I was out there I was playing free, I had a smile on my face. I was enjoying it and I'm happy it came with a goal as well. The lads around helped. We've got a team where I can go high, come low, I can get on the ball. There are lads there to help and there are also lads who said I could go and Jude stayed back. I had a chance to shoot at their goal and that's what I did. Lucky enough, I scored."

England's 3-0 win was crucial in putting them in the driving seat to achieve promotion to League A of the Nations League. But for Jones, it was an opportunity to prove to both interim boss Lee Carsley and incoming head coach Thomas Tuchel that he is ready to become a regular starter for his country. And with the likes of Declan Rice left at home for the November internationals, he will likely have another chance to shine this weekend.

Jones will be hoping to earn his second start for England when they welcome the Republic of Ireland to Wembley on Sunday. A win will be enough for the Three Lions to return to the top division of the Nations League, regardless of the result between Greece and Finland.