Jordan Henderson returned to Wearside this morning after being on international duty with England's under-21 team.
The 20-year-old won his second and third caps as he played the full 90 minutes during the wins over Portugal and Lithuania.
The six points gained secured England a berth in the play-offs for the 2011 European Championships, and now Henderson is looking forward to helping England push towards the finals.
"It was a really good experience for me," he said. "Obviously to win both games and end up qualifying for the play-offs was a good achievement.
"Hopefully now the whole squad can kick on and actually make the finals.
"Going there would be fantastic and it's something I would really looking forward to. It would be another experience for me.
"Hopefully we can make it and I can get myself selected; if I get the chance to play I'll grab it with both hands."
Henderson teamed up with team-mate Danny Welbeck for the young Lions as Welbeck, on loan from Manchester United, scored twice against Lithuania.
One of the goals was laid on by a deft backheel by Henderson, who admitted he was extremely impressed by the striker's performances during the back-to-back wins.
"To be fair Danny was different class against both Portugal and Lithuania," he reflected.
"He worked really hard and impressed massively so the two goals and the man of the match award in the second game were his just rewards.
"Danny is looking quick, sharp and working really hard for the team, which are all things he'll be looking to continue."
Now Stuart Pearce's England will find out who they will face in the play-offs when the draw is made in Denmark tomorrow.
The young Lions are unseeded, meaning they will face one of Sweden, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Croatia or Scotland.
And Henderson is confident the squad have sufficient quality to win through regardless of the opposition after bagging the points needed to qualify for the play-offs.
"We knew what we had to do and we achieved it. We have a good group of talented players and a good team spirit. Everyone is looking forward to the play-offs."
