Ross Barkley admitted he would feel guilty if he took a goal away from England new boy Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Barkley scored twice as the Three Lions thrashed Montenegro 5-1 in Podgorica, in a game which was overshadowed by racist chanting from the home supporters.
England had fallen behind before Michael Keane levelled with a header and Barkley then turned home from close range as he diverted a shot from Chelsea team-mate Hudson-Odoi past Danijel Petkovic.
But the former Everton midfielder said he would not have wanted to steal Hudson-Odoi’s spotlight on what was the 18-year-old’s first start for his country.
“I haven’t seen the goal back and I’m not sure if it was going in,” he told beIN Sports. “If it was going in I will be disappointed because I know how gutted he will be, he thrives off scoring and assisting.
“But he is really happy with the performance and I’m happy he got a start because the sky is the limit for him. He is a great lad and really mature for his age and he is going to keep developing, we have a real player there.”
Barkley doubled his international goal tally with his brace and felt that the collective performance of the team, in troubling conditions, was impressive.
“It was positive from a personal point of view,” he added. “To come away from home, over the years you’ve seen the results that Montenegro have had and they are a solid team.
“They made it difficult in the first 10-15 minutes but we responded really well and put in a positive performance.”
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice joined Hudson-Odoi in making his first England start as manager Gareth Southgate continues to offer chances to young players.
Barkley believes the influx of such precocious talents means that it is an exciting time to be a fan of the Three Lions.
“It is a credit to the boss,” the 25-year-old said when asked about the current make up of the squad.
“He shows that he has got no fear in blooding a young player, Callum, Jadon (Sancho) and Declan and there are plenty of others who can make the squad over the next season, leading up to the next Euros.
“There are a lot of positives going into the next Euros and the Nations League, it is a really positive time for the English people.”
PA
