Nathaniel Chalobah wanted to make light of the moment but eventually he found he could no longer suppress a proud smile.
The Chelsea midfielder won his 33rd cap for England's Under 21 side in the dramatic 3-2 win over Italy on Thursday, moving into joint-second place on the all-time list alongside Tom Huddlestone, Fabrice Muamba and Nathan Redmond.
James Milner holds the record with a remarkable 46.
There is something remarkable, though, about Chalobah's own international career as that cap against Italy meant he has now played 90 times through the various age groups.