Arsenal star overcame injury concerns to score England's first hat-trick and help them defeat North Macedonia.
After the England player produced an incredible treble against North Macedonia and had one of his best nights ever, Gareth Southgate praised Bukayo Saka.
After defeating Malta 4-0 on Friday to follow up victories in March over Italy and Ukraine, the team put on a display on Monday as their Euro 2024 qualification process continued to go smoothly.
Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips' contributions at Old Trafford, where Saka was the star of the 7-0 thrashing of North Macedonia, supplemented Harry Kane's brace.
At the start of the second half, he scored a ferocious goal from a tight angle, then immediately completed the first hat-trick of his career with an incredible second goal.
After a brilliant performance that was made all the more amazing by Southgate's admission that Saka had been struggling with an Achilles problem, he received a standing ovation.
"He's had it for a few weeks, and it's an injury that just needs managing, but it would have been easy not to appear," the England manager said.
"I think it serves as a reminder to everyone that it's worthwhile to go through those difficulties when you then enjoy arguably one of the best evenings of your life.
He's such a beloved teammate who is so humble, works very hard, and is, of course, talented. It was wonderful to see the happiness on his face.
He has been finishing that way all week, so it was an exceptional effort.
When questioned about Saka's proximity to the elite level, Southgate responded, "Yeah, I think he's there.
"What struck us when he first joined the Arsenal club was that he was playing at a tremendously high level for a team that was struggling.
"Then, when the squad was functioning well, he was still an important player and giving excellent work.
So, given our constant exposure to this atmosphere, it speaks a lot about his thinking and pressure-handling skills. He is a pleasure to deal with.
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