Ike Ugbo says the moment he saw the ball hit the back of the net for his first England goal was his "best feeling yet".
The Chelsea forward was called up by U17s head coach John Peacock for his first taste of international football at this week’s Nike International Tournament in Florida.
And he made his debut during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Brazil, but he left a lasting impression with his performance against Australia, scoring the opener as he helped the Young Lions to a 2-1 victory.
"I’m so happy to get my first call-up and first England goal," Ugbo told TheFA.com. "I’m buzzing, and hopefully I can go on to make more appearances and score more goals.
England 2-1 Australia
Nike U17 International Tournament
Tuesday 2 December
Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Florida
"I remember Adam Phillips playing me a reverse pass, and I was able to take a touch before finishing.
"It was my best feeling that I’ve had so far as it was my first goal."
Having given his side the lead at the break, Ugbo and his team-mates were under the cosh after the restart as the Socceroos came out firing on all cylinders, and they drew level ten minutes in.
And the determination to gain the win plus the introductions from the bench, notably Jahmal Hector-Ingram who scored the winner, were vital according to the youngster.
"I was just hoping that together we could go on to get the three points, and that we could get another goal quickly as we didn’t want to ruin how we’d played as a team," he added.
"They came at us quickly after half time. We had to adapt and start pressing a bit, and when the subs came on they brought fresh energy into the team and gave us confidence.
"It was a good decision to bring Jahmal on, he did well to get the winner and it was just what we needed."
And having now completed his first week as a Young Lion, Ugbo is hungry for another bite of the cherry wearing the Three Lions.
"The Brazil match was very new for me – it was so tough and physical," he admitted. "And I had to fight through a bit of tiredness during the Australia game, but I managed to do that.
"In international football you need quick goals. When you lose the ball it’s so vital that you win it back straight away.
"Hopefully I will get picked for the Algarve Tournament in February and have another opportunity to impress and get more goals.
"I’ve got some big games with Chelsea inbetween, so if I can keep working hard I can start to cement a spot in the England squad."
