England captain David Beckham was singing the praises of two-goal Wayne Rooney after the teenager helped fire England to a 4-2 win over Croatia on Monday and a quarter-final against hosts Portugal at Euro 2004.

"When you see him [Rooney] perform, nothing phases him. It was a big game tonight. He has produced again and he deserves all the praise he gets," said Beckham.

The modest 18-year-old himself added: "The team did very well today and I'm lucky enough to get two goals. We just go out there and try to do our job the best we can."

Asked about his strike partnership with Michael Owen, Rooney added: "We play well together. Michael isn't scoring now but he set a few goals up for me and I think it's working well."

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was almost lost for words when asked about Rooney's performance that took his tally to four goals from their three Group B matches at the tournament.

He stressed Rooney's work rate, and not just his goals, as an invaluable contribution to England's performances.

"He's also doing hard work for the team, is always available and he helps us defend as well. Absolutely fantastic."

Looking ahead to the quarter-final against hosts Portugal on Thursday, Beckham said: "We're well aware of what their players can produce out there. It's going to be a tough game."