There is such a feel-good factor around this England team and it is summed up by the joyous brilliance of Bukayo Saka.

The 21-year-old — yes, he is still just 21 — scored two quite magnificent goals on his way to his first-ever senior hat-trick as England imperiously brushed aside North Macedonia to surely all but secure qualification for Euro 2024.

Has an England player ever scored two such brilliant strikes as Saka’s in one game? It is hard to recall and such is Saka’s wonderful precociousness that simply no one was surprised.

On television pundit duties, Steven Gerrard’s verdict on Saka’s ferocious second goal, a half-volley after wonderfully taking down Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hoisted ball forward, was simple. “Absolutely wow,” he said and that was high praise from a former player who has scored a special goal or two himself.

And to think Saka has been nursing a sore Achilles as he became England’s youngest hat-trick scorer — with the goals in a 13-minute burst either side of half-time — since Theo Walcott against Croatia in 2008. That smile; that broad, broad mega-watt smile summed up just how ‘in the groove’ England are with even as measured a coach as Gareth Southgate admitting the scoreline was “outrageous”.

Saka was last off the pitch, cradling the match ball he had earlier kissed after scoring his third goal, and was serenaded by the England fans. He even overshadowed Harry Kane who scored twice more, taking his career total to 58 for England and 41 for club and country this season alone, although reports that Manchester United officials tried to lock the captain in the home dressing room afterwards were not true.

“Tonight was a really special display… sharp, direct. They couldn’t handle us,” Saka said. That was indisputable. Indeed the Romanian referee took pity on the Macedonians as he blew the whistle on 90 minutes — with no added time — even though there were nine second-half substitutions.

It was that kind of barmy, balmy evening with an Arsenal man — only Cliff Bastin from his club (1931-38), with 12, has scored more for England than Saka’s 11 goals — being hailed by the Stretford End. There was even a chorus of raucous celebration for Jack Grealish as he came on. Such is his popularity that a Manchester City player was celebrated at Old Trafford. Who would have thought it?

What a far cry from the last time England played a home match away from Wembley, the hostile debacle in losing 4-0 to Hungary at Molineux last summer in the Nations League after which Southgate considered quitting.

Here England made a very different statement. A statement, a performance and a result that will reverberate around Europe. Yes, it was only Macedonia, 65th in the world, but they are usually organised and have several players in Europe’s top leagues.

“Post-World Cup we have hit a sweet spot where there is a hunger to go further than where we have been (before),” Southgate declared. “Anything can be possible…There is a brilliant feel to them as a group.”

With last Friday’s win over Malta it was an 11-0 aggregate score over these two qualifiers as this long, long season finally drew to an end. England have 12 points from 12 and this performance was pretty much perfect, also.

So dominant were England that the Macedonian coach Blagoja Milevski even faced hostile questions from his country’s media that his players had not taken it seriously. They had no shots and won no corners but that was harsh even if Milevski admitted it was a “disaster” as they suffered their heaviest-ever defeat.

They just could not live with England who forged impressive combinations: Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford; Saka and Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. And they have Jude Bellingham to come back. It was not just the maturity and patience England showed but the appetite for pressing and the ruthlessness to strike. And strike again and again. It is what the best teams do as they scored seven times from only 10 efforts on target.

“For the players to have the mentality they have to work, at the late stage of this monster of all seasons, there was every excuse not to do that,” Southgate said.

The opening goal was a case in point as Kane turned the ball home with his first touch inside the Macedonian area after a lovely link-up involving Rashford and Shaw. The dam burst. Saka claimed his first, after Walker and Alexander-Arnold combined down the other flank, thrashing a rising shot high into the net before Rashford tapped home from Henderson’s cut-back. It was over by half-time but England were not done with Saka’s second and third — running onto Kane’s pass — and Kalvin Phillip’s first goal for his country.

And then there was the penalty. Callum Wilson was ready to come on to replace Kane but it did not happen before the striker seized the ball after John Stones was hauled down. As Kane was then immediately substituted he gave Wilson a kiss on the cheek. Both players had huge smiles and it captured the togetherness, belief and exuberance of England. And the awesome threat they pose.

The Daily Telegraph in London