Luke Shaw has revealed the support Ashley Cole gave him ahead of his England debut despite the pair now competing with each other for a place at the World Cup this summer.
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Chelsea left-back Cole and Southampton defender Shaw have given England manager Roy Hodgson a tough choice when it comes to deciding who will join Leighton Baines in the 23-man squad heading to Brazil.
Cole has struggled to get into the Chelsea team this season but, while Wednesday's friendly against Denmark was his first outing in five weeks, he produced an impressive display at Wembley.
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It was the 33-year-old's 107th appearance for England and one which was ended at half-time by the introduction of debutant Shaw, who seamlessly slotted in at left-back as Hodgson's men secured a 1-0 win.
Shaw, 18, is seen by many as Cole's long-term successor for England -- and perhaps even at Chelsea. But the experienced full-back showed no signs of bitterness -- something of a relief to the boyhood Blues fan.
"He was very supportive and before I came on at half-time he came up to me, gave me a tap on the head and said 'enjoy this experience and have fun'," Shaw said.
"Ashley has always been like that. He is always going to support whoever is playing in his position and it was great for me to hear that from such a big superstar like Ash.
"As a kid, I watched him a lot because obviously I went to the games and to hear that from him was great."
Shaw did not get to speak too much to Cole but was quick to thank him, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard for helping him during his first senior call-up. The teenager was also thankful for the support of his Southampton teammates Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez in what was a whirlwind week.
"It has been overwhelming and I don't want to stop here," Shaw said. "I want to keep pushing myself, get better and I think Southampton know that as well. They are only going to push me harder.
"It still feels weird. The other day I was saying two years ago I was watching them on TV, so to be on the same pitch as them was a dream come true."