Ruben Loftus-Cheek enjoyed starring role for England Under-21s after struggling for opportunities at Chelsea
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek was delighted to seize a rare chance to shine by netting a brace in England Under-21s' 4-0 friendly victory over Denmark.
The 21-year-old has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge this season and has made only four starts for Antonio Conte's side during the Italian's tenure in west London.
But Loftus-Cheek showed no signs of rustiness in Randers with two confident finishes to help the Young Lions win for the first time since Aidy Boothroyd was appointed manager on a full-time basis.
Loftus-Cheek told BT Sport: "I really enjoyed it. I haven't played much for my club so it is important for me to work hard and try to get my sharpness when I come away with England."
Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring with a cool finish after 10 minutes and wrapped up victory with a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area in the second half.
Solly March and Cauley Woodrow also got on the scoresheet in an emphatic victory.
Boothroyd said of Lotus-Cheek's display: "He was excellent, he was terrific, but the only reason he was terrific was because he had 10 other players on the pitch that worked really hard for him and got him the ball.
"He made some really good decisions and overall I think it was a terrific performance.
"He has still got bits to do in certain aspects of his performance, but they all have. They are not end products yet."
England were beaten in Germany last week but Boothroyd believes his side can prepare for the upcoming European Championship in Poland in good heart.
He said: "I think the whole trip has been a good experience, coming to Denmark and playing them at their home and Germany - two really good games for us.
"The teams got mixed up but I think today was a real plus. I thought the way we played was really good and I was really pleased with the manner we went about our work."