Youth cup was vital step for me

I wAS 16 when I first went to a tournament with an england youth team, in 1983. It was a U18 competition in cannes and was the first time I had been abroad. I hardly slept or ate. I roomed with Tony Adams, whose Sony walkman kept me awake, and I was not used to the red meat we were served. But it was important in forming friendships with players you hoped you would play with for the england senior team. Our forward Martin Lambert was the benchmark. he had developed quickest and made his first-team debut for Brighton aged 16. he ended up making only a handful of appearances in the league and it is important to recognise that players come to the boil at different times. Our U17 world champions will have had an incredible experience but this is only the first rung on the ladder.