CALVERT-LEWIN: IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO US
From Back Page so much, and to come back to England as part of a select few who have won the World Cup means everything. ‘To be one of only three Englishmen to have scored in a World Cup finaI is amazing. In the second half they came with a flourish but we kept on digging in. We were in a World Cup final so you have to give everything. ‘Thankfully Freddie saved the penalty. I was watching through my fingers from the halfway line and it was an incredible moment that helped turn the game. This is the pinnacle of what we can do in this age group. We have proved we are as good as any country and hopefully there will be opportunities for the lads next season.’ England have been in South Korea for five weeks, with the majority of the squad missing the final two games of the Premier League campaign. It has been a relentless campaign but the squad has grown in confidence and stature and they received a good luck message from Prince William that was read out over breakfast. Simpson took charge of this group after Aidy Boothroyd was promoted to the Under 21s and he said: ‘We first got together on March 5 when I was asked to step in and to take the Under 20s. I asked them what they thought they could achieve. They told me they could win the World Cup. So we said if we want to do that we can’t take any days off, we had to be absolutely committed from that moment on and they have been. This is the reward.’ Liverpool’s new signing Dominic Solanke received the Golden Ball after being voted Player of the Tournament — an award that has been won by Diego Maradona, Paul Pogba, Luis Figo and Sergio Aguero. ‘It was amazing when the final whistle went, I was so happy,’ said Solanke. ‘We got the main trophy then I got told that I was
going to win the Golden Ball, so that topped it off nicely. We have done so well.’ Gareth Southgate, who watched the game with his senior players in Paris, said: ‘It is brilliant. They are now eligible for the next Under 21 campaign. The big challenge is, “What is next?”.’