The Leicester man won an early penalty and then scored after the break but Spain fought back for a draw
Gareth Southgate secured the England job on a full-time basis but let a 2-0 lead slip in the final moments as Spain salvaged a 2-2 draw.
England took an early lead from the spot through Adam Lallana, and it was the least he deserved after his sumptuous through ball had split the Spanish defence.
Jamie Vardy looked to have lost the opportunity but he recovered enough to be felled by Pepe Reina and Lallana was handed the honour of putting England in front at Wembley.
The Leicester striker then doubled the hosts' lead in the second half with a diving header from Jordan Henderson's cross.
While the game was fairly even on the balance of play, neither side created a raft of chances.
But late pressure made England's backline crumble and Iago Aspas' stunner set nerves on edge, only for Isco to equalise with another brilliant goal in stoppage time.
But what did we learn? Ed Malyon was at Wembley...
1. Spanish reserves match strong England side
If we are to believe that friendlies don't matter - and unless you obsess about world rankings then they simply don't - this game was more about performance and style than result.
It was two new managers, experimenting with their options and trying to find their feet after stepping up to senior level for the first time.
And the truth is that a second-string Spanish XI matched a strong English one.
With their first-choice team, a unit that has played together for years and years, it's hard to imagine that Spain wouldn't have simply waltzed to victory here.
But of those players starting in red at Wembley, only David Silva - captain for the evening to commemorate 10 years in the national team - and Sergio Busquets could legitimately claim to be first choice.
The rest were auditioning, unfamiliar with each other and at times struggling to recreate the chemistry and style of play that has served La Roja so well over the last decade.
England matched them on the balance of play and nearly took a result - if that matters.
But this was a scratch Spanish XI and they really weren't far off what was a strong England side in terms of quality. That alone should be a worry but it just confirms what we already suspected about the gap between these nations.
2. Unfamiliar backline struggles with England's speed
Against a backline that had never played together, England were clearly confident of causing Spain some problems from the outset and the key to that was their pace.
England's goal came about when a simple through ball sliced open the defence and Jamie Vardy's pace left Iñigo Martinez for dead.
Their willingness to stand off Vardy from then on showed respect for his speed but also loudly announced their biggest fear and he closest England came in open play during that first half was when Iñigo Martinez, seemingly unaware that no opponent had even reached the penalty area, nearly diverted a low Raheem Sterling cross into his own goal.
Sterling's ability to break down that flank to cause trouble was England's best weapon in the first period, and Theo Walcott had a great chance in the second as he surged into space - failing to beat Reina with his finish.
Vardy was replaced after 66 minutes and the noticeable drop-off in energy levels contributed to England throwing away what had appeared to be a fairly comfortable 2-0 lead.
3. Jurgen Klopp's influence helping England stars make good on potential
Much has been written this season about how Raheem Sterling and John Stones, two of England's key pillars going forwards, will benefit hugely from Pep Guardiola's tutelage.
And there is little doubt that this will be the case.
Yet down the M62 in Liverpool, amid their Brazilian-led title charge, it has been somewhat overlooked just how much Jurgen Klopp has transformed Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana.
Henderson, who was for many years a talented player with no clear role, is now the central hub of the league-leading Reds.
He has touched the ball more than any other player in the Premier League this season, he has completed more passes than any other player in the Premier League this season and only Kevin De Bruyne can claim more assists.
Adam Lallana was a player whose rare combination of grit and technical excellence marked him out from a young age, but he looked to stall slightly after his move to Anfield.
One of the key reasons that Brendan Rodgers wanted Lallana is because of his ability to press from the front. He was one of the league's top players at recovering possession in the opposition's defensive third.
Under Klopp, Herr Gegenpress himself, that has seen Lallana sparked into life once again.
But what we saw tonight from the 28-year-old was a display, albeit far too brief, of his qualities on the ball.
His jinky feet and the superbly-weighted through ball to Jamie Vardy that won England a penalty and handed them the lead was reminiscent of Kaka in his prime.
Those meaner than I would suggest him being taken off for injury soon after is even more Kaka-like than the exquisite pass and dribble.
4. Jamie Vardy can push for England starting role
Daniel Sturridge is the form man in a white shirt and some would say that Harry Kane is the most ideal player to lead the line for England.
But, on this display, Jamie Vardy simply has to be in the mix to start up front for the Three Lions.
Vardy's sensational 2015-16 season means he will always remember this year as one of the greatest of his life and he will close it at the forefront of Gareth Southgate's mind.
His movement, acceleration and seemingly never-ending batteries make him a nuisance. But there is more to him than that.
A poor touch let him down as he raced onto Adam Lallana's early through pass. The ball looked like it was being left behind and a brilliant chance appeared wasted.
But Vardy half-salvaged his control, put his body between the ball and Pepe Reina before flicking that ball beyond the goalkeeper. He won a penalty through smart footballing instincts, England took the lead and they were on their way.
5. Iñigo Martinez and Nacho failed their audition
Julen Lopetegui knows both these players well but he will go away from tonight knowing that they can't be relied upon to back up Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique at the highest level.
With the Real Madrid skipper getting no younger and Pique already having declared he'll retire from internationals soon, Lopetegui needs to find a central defensive pairing of the future.
But this doesn't appear to be it.
Should Marc Bartra's development at Borussia Dortmund go as planned then that may well deal with one of the potential holes but who alongside him?
Javi Martinez has been injured and still has some miles on the clock but he's not a natural centre-back.
Mikel San Jose has shown he can do it, to an extent, on the international stage.
The likes of Jorge Mere and Diego Llorente were given a chance at the end of Vicente Del Bosque's reign but both are very young and still have much to prove.
Spain may be blessed with a lot of talent in a number of positions but central defence is a ticking timebomb of a weakness.
Today did nothing to defuse that.
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