Head Coach Steve McClaren, having used 3-5-2 in the defeat to Croatia last month, tweaked his tactics to have Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick in central positions - with Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney and Andrew Johnson making up the attacking line.

The system allowed the Three Lions to match Holland man for man in midfield and saw them make the most of their possession in the Amsterdam Arena.

"We were really pleased," said Gerrard. "At 1-0 up, we had played well and Holland were finding it difficult to break us down. So it was really disappointing to concede that goal late on because on chances created we deserved to win it.

"I could have had two goals myself with a little bit more composure. But I look at the positives from it and I’m really pleased I got in those positions. I’m happy with how it went and I enjoyed playing more in the middle.

"We matched them in there three against three and I think that’s important against the big sides like Holland. We’re really pleased that the formation worked and the positive thing is we can use another formation now as well as 4-4-2."

England went into the match with criticism of their defeat in Zagreb still ringing in their ears, but Gerrard insists it never affected the players - who were intent on looking forward and not back.

"As a footballer you understand if you don’t perform right you get criticism. But we’re big enough to take it on the chin," he said. "The most important thing is to react to it and perform better, and I think that’s what we did.

"We’ve got a couple of months now until the next match so it was important we came away with positives to remember from this one. We need to build on this performance in the next matches to make sure it counts for something."