The 16-year-old defender started for the Young Lions in Velika Gorica, but England fell behind early on when skipper Marc Guehi turned Johan Hove’s corner into his own goal after just seven minutes.

But just three minutes later, Steve Cooper’s side drew level when some great work from Jadon Sancho allowed Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster to equalise from close range.

And England managed to get themselves in front before the break, when Callum Hudson-Odoi cutback found Brewster in the 35th minute, and he made no mistake as he slotted past Mads Christiansen.

Twelve minutes before time, Phil Foden made sure of the victory, finding the top right-hand corner to ensure England made a winning start to the tournament.

Gibson – a mainstay of Dave Watson’s Magpies Under-18s team this term – played the full 90 minutes. His and England’s next Group D fixture is on Sunday, when they face Ukraine, before rounding off the group stage with a clash with Holland on Wednesday.