Raheem Sterling said he knew he would break his duck for England in major tournaments when given the chance at Wembley after netting the winner in a 1-0 victory over Croatia on Sunday.
Sterling grew up in the shadow of Wembley and justified Gareth Southgate’s decision to keep faith with him by scoring the only goal just before the hour.
“I always said if I played at Wembley in a major tournament, I’m scoring. I had to score in my back garden and delighted to do that,” he told the BBC.
Sterling’s strike ensured England won their opening game at a European Championship for the first time in 10 attempts and ended his run of not scoring in 12 appearances across three previous tournaments.
The 26-year-old’s place had been under threat from Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford after a disappointing end of the season with Manchester City, but he has now scored 11 times in his last 15 international appearances.