Amazing Ibrahimovic stuns England

Sweden 4 England 2

It was the first time England had tasted defeat under Roy Hodgson in 90 minutes and Gerrard was full of praise for the game’s main protagonist.

“Ibrahimovic’s performance was world-class and he just scored one of the best goals I seen live,” Gerrard told ITV1.

“It was his night. If someone scores four goals and the way he scored them....it’s one of the best I’ve seen.”

I think the best goal I have seen before that is Wayne Rooney’s (against Manchester City).

“Everyone knows how special that was but this one tonight – an overhead kick from 25 yards when the ball is six feet in the air – only certain players can do that.

“He is a special player.”

When Gerrard exited the Friends Arena 17 minutes from the end of this Stockholm friendly, the visitors were feeling rather pleased with themselves as goals from Danny Welbeck and Steven Caulker had overturned Ibrahimovic’s opener on 20 minutes, when the striker was quick enough to recover when Caulker blocked his initial effort, prodding the rebound past Joe Hart.

But Ibrahimovic had more surprises in store.

Capitalising on Ryan Shawcross switching off, Ibrahimovic rammed home a leveller on 77 minutes , before finding the bottom corner with a precise free-kick six minutes from time.

And the coup-de-grace came in stoppage time when, he moved onto a wayward clearing header from Joe Hart, he sent an overhead kick sailing into an empty net from fully 25 yards.

The result deflated a growing air of optimism around the England camp, and ensured Gerrard’s landmark night, and all those debuts, including one from Wilfried Zaha, will not be remembered with any real fondness.

Hodgson acknowledged Ibrahimovic’s performance but felt more could have been done to prevent him completing such a haul.

“The fourth goal was extraordinary, but it was the second and third goals which cost us,” he said.

* To view Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s remarkable 30-yard overhead kick, visit http://youtu.be/kbslWQh-R_U

SWEDEN: Isaksson, Lustig (Sana, 73), Granqvist (Antonsson, 73), Jonas Olsson, Martin Olsson (Safari, 46), Larsson (Jansson, 85), Elm, Kallstrom (Svensson, 61), Kacaniklic, Ibrahimovic, Ranegie (Wernbloom, 89).

ENGLAND: Hart, Johnson (Jenkinson, 74), Caulker (Shawcross, 74), Cahill, Baines, Cleverley (Wilshere, 61), Gerrard (Huddlestone, 74), Osman, Young (Sturridge, 61), Sterling (Zaha, 85), Welbeck.

Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway) .