Gabby basks in England acclaim

Villa forward impresses on international bow

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 20th November 2008

Gabby basks in England acclaim

Agbonlahor: Solid debut

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Gabriel Agbonlahor was left delighted after putting in an impressive showing on his England debut.

The Aston Villa forward was handed a starting role for Fabio Capello's side in their friendly clash with Germany on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a 77-minute run-out in Berlin, helping England claim a 2-1 success over their arch-rivals.

His performance has received widespread acclaim from pundits and punters alike, and Agbonlahor believes he acquitted himself well on the international stage.

Determined

"When I found out I was starting I was determined to go out there and do my best," he told the Express and Star.

"I was hoping it would go well and thankfully it did. I just wanted to do my best for the team.

"Any player that puts on an England shirt wants to do their best and I feel that's what I did."

Confidence

In the wake of England's fifth consecutive win, national skipper John Terry was also full of praise for his young team-mates.

"The youngsters can be proud of themselves and I thought Gabby did fantastically well," said the Chelsea defender.

"I think these youngsters have given the manager a difficult problem for the future when he comes to picking his side.

"This is a great way to finish the year. We started it quite slowly but have got our confidence back and have got the fans back on our side."