Former Middlesbrough defender Gareth Southgate has praised the 30,000 fans that turned out to watch the England Under-21s beat their German counterparts last night.

The Young Lions scored twice late on to claim a 3-2 win at the Riverside, with Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse grabbing the 82nd-minute winner.

"It was a fantastic turnout and we really appreciated the support that they gave us," Southgate told reporters. "I think we sent them home with some good memories.

"It was especially nice to see some young fans. The club helped a lot with the price of tickets and to be able to take England on the road and show people some of the stars of tomorrow – which I'm sure some of our players are – was great.

"To get that turn out it gave the players a huge lift and we're grateful to everybody."

It was England's final game before this summer's European Under-21 Championship in the Czech Republic.

Written by
Pascal Lemesre