Gareth Southgate has hailed Jermain Defoe’s impact within the England camp over the course of the international break.
Unused against Germany midweek, the Sunderland striker started against Lithuania on Saturday – his first international appearance since 2013 – and he took Wembley by storm.
With just 21 minutes played he did what he does best, pealing off his marker to earn an inch of space before dispatching a sublime finish into the top corner to send the Three Lions on their way to a 2-0 win.
And although Defoe’s impact on the pitch was undeniable, his wider role within the camp was equally important according to the England boss.
“It was a great moment for him,” said Southgate. “He was thrilled to be back involved in the squad and he has enjoyed his week immensely.
"I'm pleased for the two lads who have got the goals, a great story for Jermain and I felt Jamie [Vardy] added something to us."
He continued: “The bigger picture for us was his contribution throughout the camp.
“His professionalism was great for some of the other players to see and he’s had a really positive impact on everybody.
“We’ve got to look every time we get together as to who’s in form; I don’t know if we can have a pecking order because players that are playing well deserve that opportunity.
“We're never able to pick a full cohort, so it's important we can call upon the likes of Jermain and he can have the impact he does like he did today.
“I would have put my house on him scoring at some stage today.”