John Peacock hailed the mental strength of his England U17 side after their 2-1 victory over Italy sealed a place at the UEFA Championship.
Goals from Adam Armstrong and Dominic Solanke fired the Young Lions to the Finals in Malta in May and left the head coach beaming with pride.
"I can't praise my team enough," Peacock told TheFA.com. "They have worked so hard the last few days and stuck to the game plan today.
ITALY 1-2 ENGLAND
UEFA European U17 Championship Elite Qualifying Round
Monday 31 March 2014
Letna, Zlin, Czech Republic
"They've really listened to what we've had to say and I think they've carried it out fantastically over the three games.
"It was a poor goal for us to concede, which I'm disappointed about as it gave the Italians a lifeline and made it jittery for fifteen minutes.
"But they showed what they are about by battling back and getting a second goal."
He added: "The head of Italian delegation came in and said that the best team in the group won and I'd agree with that.
"Overall I'm delighted for everybody in the squad and all the staff."
Video highlights of England's win over Italy
After the Italian equaliser, England were under pressure, but Peacock was impressed with the battling qualities of his youngsters.
He said: "In their careers they'll face situations like against the Italians.
"You can't just be a top player anymore, you need to have the mental strength and that was outstanding.
"They are a resilient bunch and they just keep going - which is a great quality to have.
"We can now look forward to the Finals in Malta."
The draw for the UEFA European Championship will be made on Wednesday 9 April.
