Morgan Rogers says his first goal for England is “right up there” after helping the Three Lions to a comfortable 3-0 friendly win over Wales.
Rogers scored England’s fastest goal (2:10) since Luke Shaw scored against Italy in the second minute of the Euro 2020 final.
Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka were also on the scoresheet, with England scoring three goals in the opening 20 minutes of a match for the first time since November 1987 against Yugoslavia.
Rogers also became the 34th different Aston Villa player to score for England, the most different scorers from one club for the Three Lions, along with Manchester United.
And the 23-year-old was delighted to get off to a good start for his country, noting how important it was given the competition for places in Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
Asked where his first England goal ranks, Rogers told ITV: “Right at the top.
“It is a proud moment to do it at home, in a derby of the home country. A dream come true.”
“The quality of players we have with people here and not here, you can never get too comfortable or people will take over your role.”
And Tuchel was impressed by Rogers’ performance, with the midfielder also hitting the crossbar for England early in the second half as they looked to extend their lead.
“He is what he is,” Tuchel told ITV. “He is a number 10 and he is fighting for his place. He is doing well.
“We are ready for any team effort. Serbia was the next example of teamwork. We created a lot of chances.”
‘We could use Harry [Kane] all the time, but we have to play without Harry and Jude [Bellingham] – the boys are injured. I think we played an excellent first half.”
Saka, meanwhile, scored his thirteenth goal for England in all competitions, making him Arsenal’s all-time highest goalscorer for the Three Lions, overtaking Cliff Bastin’s twelve.
He had the most shots of anyone on the pitch (four), despite scoring just 0.1 expected goals (xG).
Saka was particularly impressed by the way his teammates endorsed Tuchel’s approach and is looking forward to what they can do.
“I feel like a team with a lot of spirit,” Saka told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I can see what the manager is building.
“You see the healthy competition he creates. Every time we train and play, everyone does the best they can.”
“We’re building something good and it’s exciting to be a part of it. I feel like we’re making progress and going in the right direction under him.”
England are back in World Cup qualifying action next, with a trip to Latvia on Tuesday, where they could clinch their place in next year’s tournament if other results go their way this weekend.
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