England men's U21s qualified for next summer's European Championships with a game to spare after their goalless draw against Slovakia.
The reigning champions are seeking their third consecutive European crown under manager Lee Carsley and sealed qualification undefeated, winning seven and drawing two of their nine fixtures.
They now head to Ireland next week, with Carsley saying emphatically at full time that he 'definitely' does not plan to mix things up in a bid to secure a perfect record.
Daily Mail Sport football reporter Tara Anson-Walsh was at Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium to bring you the things we learned…
Carsley can sleep easy tonight knowing the first obstacle has been cleared on the road to a historic Euros three-peat with England's U21s.
Qualification? Check. Goals? Plenty of them. Fun? Well, based on England's journey through this qualifying campaign, it certainly looks like it.
Lee Carsley can sleep easy tonight after England U21s secured qualification for next year's Euros
England found the back of the net 22 times in their previous eight qualifying matches, and the beauty of this side is that goals can come from virtually anywhere.
Against Kazakhstan last week, centre backs Josh Acheampong and Max Alleyne got on the scoresheet before Middlesbrough striker Will Lankshear sealed the victory.
With four goals scored in three of their previous four matches, confidence was sky high. 'Every time I step on the pitch I believe I'm going to score,' Lankshear said after that game.
There was something slightly ironic, then, that England's first match without a goal was the one that simultaneously secured their place at next summer's tournament.
In front of 8,313 fans at Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium, England knocked on the door all evening but simply could not find a breakthrough.
Lankshear came closest. Fresh from scoring on his debut, the Middlesbrough striker twice escaped his marker at the back post but could not keep his headers on target.
There was frustration at full time after 16 shots at goal failed to find the back of the net, but Carsley was quick to remind his squad that qualification was the priority.
'They were very frustrated at the end of the game, but I made the point to them that to play in a major competition it's the story of a season, not just one game,' he said.
'They've put themselves in a great position now to do something no other country has done before in terms of potentially winning the tournament for a third time, so it's exciting times.'
It is worth a quick reminder that England went 39 years without winning this tournament before retaining it at the first time of asking last year.
The quality and depth of young talent available to Carsley is jaw-dropping, but the England boss has also played a significant role in creating the environment that allows those players to flourish.
Carsley's importance to this team's success cannot be overstated, though he would probably be the last person to say so.
Asked last week how he maintained continuity despite the constant turnover that comes with Under21 football, he instead praised the mentality of his players, particularly their ability to stay ready even when they might 'think it's not going to be their day'.
Will Lankshear had been freescoring before drawing a blank against Slovakia in Stoke on Friday
Manchester City's Rico Lewis and his team-mates knocked on the door all night but could not find the back of the net
Watching Carsley's England is a breath of fresh air. The shackles are off, and this is a team that wants to dominate possession, move the ball quickly and attack.
England had 69 per cent possession against Slovakia and registered 16 shots to their opponents' four. Against Kazakhstan, they enjoyed 81 per cent of the ball. Before that, they recorded 74 per cent possession against Moldova.
They have dominated this qualifying group from start to finish, with a 1-1 draw against Andorra and this one against Slovakia the only mild blemishes on an otherwise outstanding campaign.
No wonder they are embracing the target on their backs heading into next summer.
Slovakia, sitting second in the group, should have posed a sterner test than bottom-placed Kazakhstan.
But unlike against Kazakhstan, where England conceded twice through lapses in concentration and Carsley admitted they would need to 'play better if we're going to be a serious team', they were far more assured against a stronger Slovakian side.
At the heart of that defensive display was Max Alleyne.
The Burnley centre-back, on loan from Manchester City, delivered another assured performance and the numbers backed it up.
Four tackles made and four tackles won. Four interceptions. Six of eight duels won. Eleven recoveries.
'He was outstanding,' Carsley said. 'There was once or twice in the first half where they counterattacked, one-v-one and Max cleaned it up. We shouldn't be in that position, but it was only because of Max's outstanding attributes that we got away with that.
'I thought Max, Ash (Phillips), Josh (Acheampong) and Rico (Lewis) were outstanding tonight. The concentration is something that we have to be better at in terms of Under 21s.
'Generally, when they perform with their senior teams, they've got older, more experienced players around them that are constantly talking them through the game. But they really stood up for themselves tonight. As forward-thinking as we were, I thought we were solid at the back.'
Source: Sport
