The Tottenham striker took his hot streak of scoring form into the international arena for the first time at this level with a brilliantly-taken effort in the first-half to put England into the driving seat.

We’ve seen it before in the Premiership and at under-21 level, but when Defoe took the ball from David Beckham inside the penalty area, he killed it with his first touch, spun and left his marker for dead with his second, and volleyed it past Jerzy Dudek with his final, deadly touch.

It was a goal borne of brilliance, confidence and the resilience to keep shooting on sight after his first big chance of the game went begging.

That came in the 25th minute when Defoe was put through on goal but, possibly anticipating a crunching tackle, snatched at his shot and hit the ball wide of the far post with the outside of his boot.

But football lore has it that the mark of a great striker is the willingness to keep going when he has already missed the target, and Defoe certainly did that.

His natural spark was evident from the word go - this is a player that is bursting to show what he can do at this level, having had a late letdown in his ambition of being part of the squad in Portugal this summer.

Defoe made the point before the season started that if he were to get another chance with England, he would do his best to take it with both hands and that is what he did against Poland.

Having made a cameo appearance as a late substitute in Austria, when he hit a post with his one decent chance, Defoe was determined to make sure he went one better this time, making his first start for the senior side.

It could not have gone better. Apart from the goal, which put England well on the way to a victory that has put the team back in the box-seat in the group, Defoe looked a threat throughout and made sure the Polish defence never had an easy moment, at least until he was subbed in the closing stages.

Dudek, in particular, must dread facing Defoe, who scored a similarly brilliant goal for Spurs against Liverpool on the opening day of the season, turning quickly in the penalty box to whip in a shot that the keeper could barely anticipate, let alone stop.

He is still only 21, and can only get better.

There is no guarantee that Defoe will keep his place once Wayne Rooney is fit again, but it certainly gives Sven a selection headache – of the best possible kind.