Miles Lewis-Skelly grateful for coach's belief in him

Miles Lewis-Skelly made his England debut and scored his first goal as the team beat Albania 2-0. Miles Lewis-Skelly was called up to the national team for the first time last week, with new coach Thomas Tuchel putting him in the starting lineup.  

Miles Lewis-Skelly has quickly made his mark on the international stage , scoring just 20 minutes into the 2026 World Cup qualifier.  

After the game, Miles Lewis-Skelly said: "I really don't know what to say, but I am really grateful to the head coach for his trust in me and my teammates. They gave me a lot of trust today, and I am really happy. In addition, the fans have been supporting us, so I am also very grateful to them."  

Miles Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on his England debut, surpassing Marcus Rashford. After Miles Lewis-Skelly made his debut, a total of 31 England players have scored a goal on their debut, but only three players have scored such a goal on their debut.  

In the 77th minute, Declan Rice passed the ball to Harry Kane, who swept the ball into the bottom corner. Five minutes later, Declan Rice was substituted, while Miles Lewis-Skelly played 90 minutes until he was replaced in stoppage time.  

Declan Rice was full of praise for his team-mate and said: "He's fearless and does everything off the pitch. He's always ready and even though he's only 18 he's really mature. I know he's going to do well because he believes in himself."