Manchester United's England captain Wayne Rooney says the players are grateful for the nation's support.
Despite decades of under-achievement and a dismal World Cup in Brazil, that passion for England was demonstrated by 55,000 people turning up at Wembley to see Roy Hodgson's men dispense with the footballing muppets of San Marino.
And Rooney said: "It's fantastic. We were talking about that in the dressing room, it was the highest attendance in Europe that night. It shows the faith the fans have in us and what a great nation we are. The team was really thankful."
