Callum Hudson-Odoi broke a 64-year-old record to become the youngest player to make his England debut in a competitive match when he came on during the Three Lions’ 5-0 win against Czech Republic.
The youngster replaced Raheem Sterling after 70 minutes to earn his first international cap at the age of 18 years 135 days, breaking the record set by former Manchester United forward Duncan Edwards.
Edwards was 48 days older than Hudson-Odoi when he made his Three Lions debut in a British Home Championship tie against Scotland in April 1955.
The Chelsea winger made an impact too, with his late curling effort parried by goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka into the path of Tomas Kalas, who inadvertently deflected to ball into his in own net to complete the scoring.
Hudson-Odoi’s introduction meant England ended the game with two 18-year-olds on the pitch with Borussia Dortmund’s Jodan Sancho handed his first competitive start.
It’s the first time England have had two players aged 18 or younger in an international match in 138 years, going back to a meeting with Wales on February 26th, 1881.
Hudson-Odoi was originally called-dup to the England Under-21 squad but was promoted to the senior side after the squad was hit by a number of withdrawals.
That is despite not yet starting a Premier League game for Chelsea, with his long-term future at Stamford Bridge uncertain.
Goal revealed that he was the subject of a £35 million ($46m) bid from Bayern Munich in January, with Hudson-Odoi reportedly keen on a move to Germany.
Chelsea rejected the bid and insisted they wanted to keep the player in west London, but no new contract has been agreed and the transfer talk continues.
Meanwhile, Manchester City winger Sterling became the first England player to score a hat-trick at Wembley for nine years, netting with his first three shots at goal.
Sterling converted Sancho’s cross for the opener in the first half before two goals in six second-half minutes completed his treble, the first by a Three Lions player at Wembley since Jermain Defoe against Bulgaria in September 2010.
Harry Kane’s first-half penalty completed the scoring at Wembley as England made the perfect start to their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
Next up for Southgate’s side is a game against Montenegro in Podgorica on Monday.