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Local hero Raheem Sterling gets England off to winning start at Euro 2020

<span>Photograph: Robin Jones/Getty Images</span>
Photograph: Robin Jones/Getty Images

Raheem Sterling grew up so close to Wembley Stadium that he describes it as his “back garden”. On Sunday afternoon, under blazing sunshine and in front of a crowd that got decisively behind Gareth Southgate’s team, it was the local lad who made the difference to set the Three Lions off and running at Euro 2020.

The 26-year-old forward scored the only goal of the match to beat Croatia, England’s semi-final conquerors at the last World Cup, 1-0 in Group D. It was the first time England had won their opening fixture at a European Championship finals and the first goal Sterling had scored at a major tournament.

Related: England up and running at Euro 2020 as Raheem Sterling’s strike sinks Croatia

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That it should be the Manchester City man who made the difference was apposite. The #BoyfromBrent, as he described himself on social media, was awarded the MBE last week for his services to racial equality in sport, after becoming one of the first British stars to use his platform to face down the abuse he and others receive both in their working lives and on social media. On Sunday the England team as a whole confronted a small chorus of boos as they continued their practice of taking the knee before matches.

The boos were drowned out by cheers and applause and withered away to nothing by kick-off. It was vindication for the players, the manager, Gareth Southgate, and the Football Association who had asked for support in their anti-racist protest.

With a moment of possible trauma put behind them, England were able to start the game at a canter. Sterling’s City teammate Phil Foden, with his Gazza ’96 haircut, hit the post in the opening minutes as the hosts dominated, only for the experienced Croats to build their way into the game.

Tension began to rise in the second half as the stalemate continued, but in the 57th minute Sterling burst on to a pass from Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and finished decisively under the goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Sterling’s selection had been in doubt before the match but Southgate saw his faith repaid.

“It feels good,” Sterling said of his goal after the match. “I’ve always said if I played at Wembley in a major tournament I’m scoring in my back garden. I have to score and it’s great to finally do that. It’s been a long season for me. I couldn’t wait to get here, couldn’t wait to get started with England because I knew it would be a positive one.”

Before the game Southgate had said it was for “individual people to decide” on their reaction to the taking of the knee but that, as an England team, “we know what we’re doing”. After the game, a happy coach said his players had “dealt with the big occasion really well.”

“It’s lovely to have given our fans and our country a really enjoyable afternoon,” said Southgate, who has ditched his waistcoat for a charcoal suit, navy blue tie and no belt. “I’m so pleased for Raheem, he’s had this hex in the tournaments and I thought he was dangerous all day. He’s a good player and his goalscoring record suggests we should have faith in him. He was motivated to shine.”

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Wembley was at quarter capacity because of the pandemic and fans were required either to show a negative Covid test result or carry a “vaccine passport” in order to be able to enter the game. As the atmosphere bubbled, and “football’s coming home” echoed around the national stadium, social distancing slowly went out of the window as the 18,497 supporters – according to official figures, less than the permitted 22,500 under current rules – made the most of the moment after so many months being denied their sporting communion. By the end, tops were off and sweaty hugs were plentiful. One serious note came as a fan was rushed to hospital during the match and was in a serious condition after falling from a stand just after kick-off. Wembley officials said they would work with Uefa to investigate the incident.

England now go on to probably the most anticipated fixture of the tournament, at least on British shores, as a reunion with Scotland – playing in their first tournament for 23 years – awaits. It will be another echo of Euro ’96 but a very different challenge to the one England overcame on Sunday.

“We’re pleased with today, it’s a good start and it takes some of the tension out of the next game,” Southgate said. “But we’ve still got to get points to qualify.”