ROY HODGSON was delighted to see England sign off their 2014 programme in style as they outclassed their domestic rivals, Scotland, to claim a notable 3-1 win at Celtic Park.

Wayne Rooney followed up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first-half header with a headed strike of his own, and while Andrew Robertson briefly gave Scotland hope with seven minutes left, Rooney duly added his second goal of the night to move to within three goals of Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time record and further draw a line under this summer’s World Cup disappointment.

Since leaving Brazil with some fierce criticism ringing in their ears, England’s players have recorded six successive victories, and while last night’s success might not have secured any qualifying points, it was arguably the most notable of the lot because of the intensity of the atmosphere in Glasgow.

“It was a real goldfish bowl, and the players were really under the magnifying glass,” said Hodgson. “But it was good that they could stand up to that so well.

“There were some very good individual performances from the players and it’s nice to finish this period of the year with another good result. We’ve added a sixth victory to the five we had coming in to this one.

“I’m very pleased with that, and I thought we showed our intent from the moment we started the game very well. I thought some of the attacking movement was very good, and our defending was sharp throughout.”

Hodgson reserved special praise for Rooney, who added two more goals to go with the one he scored in the 3-1 win over Slovenia on Friday night.

Having won his 100th cap at Wembley, the England skipper is closing in on both Charlton’s scoring record and Peter Shilton’s all-time appearance record for his country, and Hodgson feels he is still improving as an international player despite his extensive experience.

“If anything, I’d say that he’s improving all the time,” said the England boss. “Everything that will be written will be about the two goals, but I actually thought there were a lot of very positive aspects to his game.

“I’d like to think he’s improving, but as a coach, I’m always wary of putting too much pressure on people. We have got to be a team. Wayne certainly did terrifically tonight, but there were a lot of other people out there who took a lot of responsibility as well.”

Scotland boss Gordon Strachan was magnanimous in defeat, and quick to praise the quality of England’s performance, particularly when they were not in possession of the ball.

“I thought that was the best performance against us for a long time,” said the former Middlesbrough manager. “I thought the intensity, strength and pace that England played at, without the ball especially, was fantastic.

“It kind of spooked our players a bit. They must have watched our game (against Ireland) and thought, ‘We will go for them’. They didn’t sit back and wait.   It’s a team full of Champions League players, and they showed that tonight.”

Having claimed a 3-2 win when the sides met at Wembley last year, England have completed a quick-fire double over the ‘Auld enemy’, and Hodgson would like to see an Anglo-Scottish battle become a more regular part of the international calendar.

“Of course it’s very difficult because the calendar doesn’t leave much room for friendlies, but I’ve enjoyed the two matches we’ve played,” he said. “You’re talking about two very important fixtures for Scotland – and of course for us.

“I feel very honoured to have been part of those games, and whether or not it should be put onto a future calendar so other people can have it on their CV, I certainly wouldn’t say no.”

The only negative side to the evening was some persistent singing from the 5,000-or-so England fans that repeatedly referenced the IRA. Such references are particularly highly-charged at a ground like Parkhead, where Celtic supporters have previously been admonished for sectarian chanting.

“I don’t condone any chanting like that,” said Hodgson. “I was aware that the crowd were tremendously supportive, but I didn’t have a clue what they were saying.

“Of course I don’t condone it, and if anyone was offended, I’m sure the FA would like to apologise to them. All we can do is play our football and be grateful for the support we get.”