Thaindian News

Kiev, June 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) England striker Danny Welbeck had practised the pirouette back-flick that gave his country a vital 3-2 win over Sweden in Friday’s Euro 2012 Group D clash.

Welbeck struck on 78th minute when Theo Walcott’s cross was played slightly behind the Manchester United man.

He span around, flicking the ball with his trailing leg in one fluid motion as he went.

The ball rolled into the far corner, leaving England just one point against the co-hosts Ukraine away from the quarter-finals.

“I am really happy to get the winning goal, but the main thing is to get the three points for the whole team and it sets us up nicely going into the Ukraine game,” Welbeck said Saturday.

The 21-year-old confessed to having spent time on the training ground rehearsing the flair move.

“Once the chance comes around in training, you try it, you have to try different things, just hit the ball into the back of the net, so once it came today I already knew what I was going to do.”

Welbeck partnered Andy Carroll up front in a makeshift lineup due to Wayne Rooney’s absence through suspension.

His Old Trafford strike partner is back for the Ukraine decider, meaning it is likely one of them will be relegated to the bench.

“It is football,” Welbeck said. “We know all the quality Wayne possesses and he is a world-class striker.”

“The whole team is happy he is going to play again. It is going to benefit us.”

England coach Roy Hodgson heaped praise on Welbeck for his backheel flick.

“It was a very clever finish with a type of pirouette that made it made it very difficult for the goalkeeper,” Hodgson said.

“It was a goal, in my opinion, that was very worthy of winning the game.”

The goal was the 21-year-old Welbeck’s first competitive goal for England and his second for the national team after scoring against Belgium at Wembley earlier this month.

–IANS/RIA Novosti
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