Marcus Rashford’s rapid progress continued as the 18-year-old took 135 seconds to become the youngest player to score on his England debut in a 2-1 win over Australia last night and almost certainly claim a place at Euro 2016.

Rashford’s Manchester United club mate Wayne Rooney added a second – a record-extending 52nd for England – 10 minutes after the break before substitute Eric Dier headed an own goal in the 73rd as England recorded a second straight 2-1 win in five days.

However the night belonged to Rashford, who netted three minutes into what was only his 19th professional match, stroking the ball first time past goalkeeper Matt Ryan after creating space inside the area at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

Rashford could have had a second goal minutes later and produced an assured performance before coming off on the hour.

Hodgson tried out fringe players against under-strength opponents, also giving a debut to Burnley keeper Tom Heaton ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to name a trimmed down 23-man squad.

Striker Shane Long showed his poacher’s instincts to grab a first-half goal that looked like giving Ireland a win in their friendly against Netherlands in Dublin, but Luuk De Jong’s late equa-liser snatched a draw for the Dutch.

Ireland’s goal came when Robbie Brady whipped in a corner which central defender John O’Shea headed powerfully goalwards. It appeared to strike a Dutch arm, but Long bundled the ball home.

The Irish lost their shape following a slew of second-half changes, allowing Dutch substitute De Jong to steal in and head home an equaliser with virtually their only decent attacking move of the game.

The Irish, who play Belarus in their final pre-Euro 2016 friendly in Cork on Tuesday, kick off their Group E campaign against Sweden in Paris on June 13 before meeting Belgium and Italy.

Striker Andrej Kramaric boosted his hopes of getting into Croatia’s Euro 2016 squad after scoring a clinical early winner in their 1-0 friendly victory over Moldova.

The former Leicester City player took an Ivan Perisic pass in his stride and beat goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu with a crisp low shot.

The 24-year old Kramaric, who made no impact during his one-year spell at Leicester before he was loaned to German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in January and made the move permanent this week, was substituted at half-time.

Summaries

Friendly Matches

Slovakia 3
Nemec 5, 57, Zrelak 70
Georgia 1
Kenia 72

Croatia 1
Kramaric 9
Moldova 0

England 2
Rashford 3, Rooney 55
Australia 1
Dier 75og

Ireland 1
Long 30
Netherlands 1
De Jong 85

N. Ireland 3
Lafferty 7, Washington 45, Grigg 88
Belarus 0