Frank Nouble woke up on a high on Monday after getting off the mark for England in the rarefied air of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship being played in France.
The West Ham United striker was the star of the show for the Young Lions in their thrilling 3-2 defeat of Austria. Nouble set them on their way to victory with two first-half goals before Austria pulled one back. Tom Cruise, the Arsenal midfielder, restored the two-goal advantage and despite a late consolation, England held on.
Speaking exclusively to whufc.com from Normandy before he faced the waiting European press pack on Sunday night, Nouble said: "It felt brilliant. It was a good experience as well and a great game. They were my first goals for England and it feels special. To score two left-footed goals was great - everything I did has come off.."
Still only 18, Nouble is well aware that there is a keen interest across the country in the U19s' exploits - especially as the senior side had such a frustrating time at the FIFA World Cup. He was told well in advance by coach Noel Blake that he was going to lead the line and made sure he was fully concentrated on the task at hand.
"I knew the day before that I was going to start. It was just about focusing and getting right for such a big game. The spotlight in the country is on the Under-19s and I was pleased to get the goals. Hopefully I can do it again
"It is brilliant. I am happy because, when I come back to West Ham, I want to show that this experience will help me be a better player. I want to get more chances and show what I can do."
Austria's second-half fightback was to be expected from a tournament with such a high standard among all the finalists. Nouble reflected, though, that all in all it was a good job well done. "It got a bit nervy," he added. "They are a good side and they came back into it.
"It was tough and any side here is going to be good. There are only eight teams in the finals out of the whole of Europe. We started out well and deserved the three points. It was definitely tougher in the second half.
"The heat got to both teams and we are still in the pre-season period. It was harder but we never stopped trying. We kept our belief and still had an attacking threat."
Next up for the Young Lions will be a date with the Netherlands on Wednesday, with the Dutch being humbled 4-1 by France in Sunday's other Group A fixture. Les Bleus and the Young Lions will then meet in a potential section decider next Saturday, although the top two will go through to the semi-finals.