Adam Wharton made his debut for England Under-21s during their dominant 7-0 win against Luxembourg at Bolton.
The former Rovers midfielder was a late call-up to the squad after impressing for the Under-20 squad during a 5-1 victory against Poland.
Wharton was brought off the bench for the final 20 minutes by Lee Carsley, another ex-Rovers midfielder.
“It was really good to get him on the pitch,” Carsley told The Lancashire Telegraph. “He came in late after playing a game for the Under-20 squad and had one training session.
“It is brilliant to get him a cap. We always talk about what a great achievement it is to get an Under-21 cap, one squad away from the senior team. I am privileged in that respect to give him the opportunity.”
The 19-year-old made a big money move to Crystal Palace in January, ending a 13-year association with boyhood club Rovers.
Wharton has already made six Premier League appearances for the Eagles in recent weeks, including five starts.
“It is a big thing,” Carsley continued. “The more players we can get playing at the highest level is brilliant for not only Gareth (Southgate), giving them more options, but also for us.”
Noni Madueke, Samuel Iling-Junior and Morgan Rogers all bagged braces on the night, with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens also getting on the scoresheet.
It could have been even more, with Luxembourg goalkeeper Noah Scheidweiler making several decent stops.
The Young Lions also beat Azerbaijan 5-1 on Friday and are well placed in Euro qualifying, having won six of their seven matches so far. Only Ukraine have a better record in Group F at this stage.
Carsley’s side are looking to defend their Euro title – having lifted the trophy last summer following a memorable win against Spain in the final. The side went through the whole tournament without conceding a single goal.
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