England scored an upset 1-0 victory over world champions Spain here, with stand-in captain Frank Lampard heading the only goal of the game to delight a sell-out Wembley crowd.
Spain, who had not lost to England for 10 years, dominated possession and territory throughout but were frustrated by a superb English defensive effort as the home side clung on for the win yesterday.
Lampard's winner came on 49 minutes when the Chelsea midfielder headed in from close range after Darren Bent's effort from a James Milner free-kick spun back off the post.
Goalscorer Lampard paid tribute to England's team spirit but said the squad was keeping their feet on the floor.
"For everyone it is a lift, but we have to be realistic. We know they dominated the game for long periods," Lampard said in an interview on ITV1.
"We won't be shouting from the rooftops. We understand football.
"We are not quite where we want to be just yet, but to beat a side like Spain is something we can definitely build upon."
Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque was frustrated after the defeat. "I'm a bit disappointed and almost angry that we didn't win the game," Del Bosque said.
"But I can take lots of positives ... We took the initiative, we held the initiative, we didn't let England get out of their half. We just missed that skillful defining moment," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"But I can take lots of positives ... We took the initiative, we held the initiative, we didn't let England get out of their half. We just missed that skillful defining moment," he said.
{{/usCountry}}The result was a vindication for England manager Fabio Capello, who had taken the risky decision to leave captain John Terry on the bench and dropped Wayne Rooney from his squad altogether.