So that's what £30million buys you these days: a goalkeeper with the ability and nerve to keep his country in a major tournament.

Everton have made Jordan Pickford the most expensive signing in their history but there is unlikely to be a figure Aidy Boothroyd could pin on his No 1 after his dramatic penalty save pulled England's Under-21s back from the brink.

It seemed as though another European Championships would end in misery when Sweden were awarded an 80th-minute penalty following Ben Chilwell's misjudged lunge on Linus Wahlqvist; England's play had been charmless and the referee's whistle had placed them under the guillotine.

On the sidelines, Boothroyd bit his fingernails but, in a flash, all those words he has used on Pickford this week rang true. In this high-pressure moment, Pickford never flinched as he repelled Wahlqvist's poor spot-kick with his right hand then smothered Carlos Strandberg's follow-up.

While his relieved team-mates engulfed him, Boothroyd simply offered a thumbs up. It was the least he could do. England, by the narrowest margin, remain contenders but be under no illusion standards must improve.

That's the moments of fine margins,' said the head coach. 'One slide tackle could have cost us. We're satisfied with the point, happy we're up and running and looking forward to the next game.'

England might well be ready to meet the challenge of playing Slovakia head on but it would be naive in the extreme to think Slovakia won't be looking forward to playing England; this, after all, was not a display to back up Boothroyd's assertion that the Young Lions had come to entertain.

True, the opening 10 minutes were bright and the way England hemmed Sweden back gave hope they would run out comfortable winners but, for all the prodding and probing, the closest they came to landing a telling blow was when Tammy Abraham headed a James Ward-Prowse corner over.

Sweden, the reigning champions, were never going to make this a contest for the purists and when their coach Hakan Ericson made a couple of tweaks, demanding his team sit deep and exude obduracy, the early momentum was lost.

Suddenly England looked one-dimensional. They kept trying to set Mason Holgate free down Sweden's left but the tactic never worked; the Everton right back continually over-hit his crosses and it said everything for how England's play broke down that the best chances arrived from long balls.

Jacob Murphy, the Norwich forward, whistled a drive over the bar after Abraham had knocked down Pickford's huge punt then the Chelsea striker's acrobatic attempt to divert an Alfie Mawson flick on from Holgate's long throw also cleared the target.

Worryingly for Boothroyd, Sweden had chances of their own with Pawel Cibicki a particularly menacing presence. The Malmo winger went close before half-time after flummoxing Nathaniel Chalobah and Chilwell and went closer still in the 56th minute with a shot that struck the woodwork.

England had a couple of half-chances, with a Ward-Prowse free-kick and Chilwell shot that deflected onto the bar, but Sweden looked the most likely to score and only a fabulous tackle in the 71st minute from Holgate prevented Strandberg streaking clear.

Then came the defining moment, Chilwell careered into Wahlqvist, referee Stiler pointed to the spot and, as he did, the memories of early eliminations from the last three tournaments came flooding back. It was a moment when a hero was needed and Pickford embraced the challenge.

'I waited longer and held my ground and got to the penalty – that's what you do,' Pickford said, as if it was all routine.

It wasn't routine at all. Pickford stepped up just when England needed him. Other must follow suit.