Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group A - England v Czech Republic - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 22, 2019 England's Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their fourth goal and completing a hat-trick Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - England made a hugely impressive start to their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign as Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of a sorry Czech Republic side on Friday.
A mood of optimism swept around a large Wembley crowd before the Group A game kicked off and England responded with a display full of pace and panache to send the fans home happy.
Sterling opened the scoring from Jadon Sancho's cross in the 23rd minute and Harry Kane's penalty put England in complete control on the stroke of halftime.
There was a brief flurry from the Czechs at the start of the second half but normal service was soon resumed as Sterling curled home his second of the night just past the hour.
The Manchester City forward was unstoppable and he completed his first hat-trick for England seven minutes later with a deflected drive past Czech keeper Jiri Pavlenka.
Sterling was substituted to huge applause soon after as manager Gareth Southgate gave Chelsea teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi his first senior cap while West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice also came off the bench to win his first England cap, weeks after switching allegiance from Ireland.
The Czechs' misery was complete when Tomas Kalas bundled in an own goal in the 84th minute.
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