Ollie Watkins grabbed his opportunity to show he can compete with Harry Kane by firing England towards a 3-0 win over Greece which reasserted their authority in their UEFA Nations League group, putting them in pole position to win promotion.
Interim coach Lee Carsley did what Gareth Southgate was too afraid to do during Euro 2024 and dropped the captain for the Aston Villa striker, who put England in front in Athens in the seventh minute with a tap-in set up by the thrusting Noni Madueke.
Jordan Pickford had to be at the top of his game to keep the hosts at bay before Jude Bellingham, who had sparked the first goal with a wonderful reverse pass, made sure of the victory. The Real Madrid midfielder fired a shot which cannoned off the post and was knocked over the line by the heel of the hapless Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
The Three Lions turned a good victory into a great one when Curtis Jones scored the third with a cheeky backheel. The late strikes took England above Greece in League B, Group 2 on goal difference and victory against Ireland on Sunday will seal their promotion back to the top tier without having to go through a play-off.
GOAL rates England's players from the Olympic Stadium...