Dele Alli scored a worldie for England and everyone, including Jack Grealish

It will mark quite the rise for Dier, who a few months ago missed out on the England squad for the Under-21 European Championship.

Without 16 regulars through injury, Hodgson was forced to pick a makeshift team with an average age of just 24 years and 113 days.

Lingard, [Dele] Alli, [Eric] Dier; they are talented lads and they could go on to be internationals, but they are nowhere near ready.

“I’d played a full season in Liverpool’s first-team, scored double figures and won trophies before I even got an England call-up”. Alli, on the other hand was playing League One football last season, and has made a staggering transition to this level.

“I’ve certainly seen some players who want to say to me, you might have a few big names missing, but you don’t have to worry because we’re here, and that’s a nice thing not only for me to know but for the country to know”.

The problem Hodgson now has is trying to maintain the momentum he has built.

Hodgson’s joy at ending the calendar year with a victory over one of the favourites for Euro 2016 was understandably tempered by the Paris terrorist attacks which claimed 129 lives last week.

“(FA chief executive) Martin Glenn has had a meeting with the people at the Premier League but it was more the executives”, Hodgson said when asked about the winter get together.

I would have to pick the best players at the time and someone like Dele Alli, and I would also mention Eric Dier – who I thought was really good [against France].

Tottenham fans made the most of it…

England will continue their high-profile build-up to the Euros by taking on Germany in Berlin and hosting Holland next March.

He was not the only Tottenham midfielder to be handed his first start against France, though, with Eric Dier’s transformation from defender to accomplished defensive midfielder rewarded by Hodgson.

The Three Lions boss said he owes a huge debt of gratitude to Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino for the brilliant work he has been doing with young English players.

The 19-year-old, man of the match on an emotional evening, scored his stunning goal after 39 minutes on his first start, finishing off a move he started with a 25m thunderbolt past his Tottenham Hotspur club-mate and France captain Hugo Lloris.