DENMARK U-21 ....... 0 ENGLAND U-21 ........ 4

RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK struck twice as England Under-21s continued their preparations for the European Championships with a comfortable friendly win.

Solly March and Cauley Woodrow also got on the scoresheet in Randers as England won for the first time since Aidy Boothroyd was appointed full-time manager.

Loftus-Cheek has made just four starts for Chelsea this season but his double took his tally for the Under-21s to six in his last seven appearances.

“Denmark are at the European finals so it makes it even more special to get the result we did,” said Boothroyd.

“Ruben was terrific. But the reason he was terrific is that he had 10 other players who worked really hard for him.”

England dominated from start to finish after Boothroyd made 10 changes to the side beaten 1-0 in Germany last Friday.

Curling

Reading midfielder John Swift had already gone close when Loftus-Cheek fired the visitors into the lead after 10 minutes.

England doubled their lead five minutes later when Brighton winger March struck a curling left-foot shot from the edge of the area which flew in with the aid of a deflection.

Denmark offered little in response and it was not until just before the break that England keeper Angus Gunn was called into action, stopping Lasse Vigen Christensen’s long-range shot.

Manchester City’s Gunn made a better save when he tipped a low shot from Lucas Andersen round the post early in the second half, but England soon tightened their grip on the match.

Woodrow, on loan at Burton from Fulham, was denied from distance on the hour by substitute keeper Andreas Hansen. But he scored from the resulting corner from inside the six-yard box after Wolves defender Kortney Hause had won a header.

Woodrow had another effort blocked before Loftus-Cheek claimed his second with a powerful shot through Hansen’s grasp after a sharp turn in the area in the 69th minute.