Dazzle of the front three sees England earn reward and fill a gap on the CV | Dominic Fifield

Gareth Southgate’s improving young side were quickly into their stride against Spain and finally have a result to their name against a team of pedigree

There must have been times as the interval approached when even Gareth Southgate, such a staunch believer in the talent of this youthful group, found himself peering in disbelief up at the big screen at one end of this bowl of an arena. The list of English goalscorers had become cluttered by then, the board increasingly untidy if gloriously lopsided. The eerie silence in Rijeka last week had felt surreal but the stunned hush among the locals in Andalusia was far harder to comprehend.

This was a vindication of everything Southgate is trying to achieve with this group. The bravery of his selection, with the youngest side England have put out in 59 years, and execution of their instructions had been rewarded in that opening period, when they carried a threat with each attack and the Spanish were duly shredded.

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