England manager Gareth Southgate praised Marcus Rashford after his double helped claim a 3-0 win over Wales that clinched top spot in their World Cup group.
The Three Lions will take on Senegal in the last 16, with all three goals against the Welsh coming in the second half.
Rashford opened the scoring with a fine 50th minute free-kick, before Harry Kane’s cross found Phil Foden for a second barely a minute later.
The Manchester United forward added another in the 68th minute as England cruised into the knockout stage.
Rashford has three goals this World Cup campaign, having struggled for form at Euro 2020, before missing a penalty in their shootout loss to Italy in the final.
“It has been a challenge for him. I went and saw him before the season and had a long chat with him, he had some clear ideas on what he needed to do,” Southgate said about Rashford.
“With his club, he’s been happy with his performances this year and it showed on the training ground with us.
“We’ve got a completely different player here than we did at the Euros, he could have had a hat-trick in the first half as he was getting in all the right areas. He deserved his goals.”
Foden was a popular change to Southgate’s line-up, setting up the opening goal after winning the free-kick, before racing in at the back post to score from Kane’s cross.
“Watching lots of games the big players have stepped up,” he said. “Our forwards didn’t do that in the first half but in the second half they really did.
“You need goals from all areas. It is a problem for opposition if the threat is coming from other areas of the pitch. It is competition for places and people have to deliver.”
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