Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WORLD AT THEIR FEAT
Winning World Cup in 2022 seems a tall order but after success of England’s kids we can all dare to dream
THE target was scoffed at and derided – England to win the World Cup in 2022?
Four years ago, Greg Dyke – then FA chairman – likened England football teams to a “tanker that needs to be turned around”.
From Dyke to current technical director Dan Ashworth, the aim has been mapped out – a crack at winning it in 2022, after making the semi-final of the Euros in 2020 a stepping stone. It still seems a far-off prospect, with the senior team qualified for Russia next summer, but yet to prove they are good enough to make a major impact.
However, there are shoots of hope all down the age-group sides.
On Saturday evening at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, England Under-17s face Spain, with a chance to become World Cup winners – emulating the U-20s’ earlier success in the summer.
For the U-17s, Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster grabbed the headlines with consecutive hat-tricks, Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been an ace playmaker and the squad oozes talent.
The U-19s won their Euros and England youth teams have reached four finals in a successful 2017.
The tanker is on the turn – now the challenge is to convert progress to senior level.
Soon, senior boss Gareth Southgate (above) – theoretically – may be blessed with a crop of tournament savvy winners, ready to challenge at the highest level. That is if – and it is a big if – they progress and get the game time in club football, especially in the Premier League.
The FA have got a lot right in their moulding of the junior ranks. At St George’s Park, Southgate has an office close to the youth coaches, from Aidy Boothroyd’s U-21s down to Steve Cooper’s U-17s and schoolboys level. Progress is monitored, reviewed and a route through the FA ranks is plotted for each kid.
Southgate, having bossed the U-21s for three years, promotes from within, the most recent example being the elevation of Spurs’ Harry Winks to senior international.
“The age-group wins suggest something better for the future,” said Aston Villa midfielder Josh Onomah – on loan from Spurs and a star of the U-20s’ triumph. “I have
been with the boys since U-16s and that helps. We have grown up and learned from each other.
“I have always felt the talent is here, from when we were all 16, but it is so competitive between us just to make the teams.”
Talk of an English DNA used to be derided, but the FA’S junior ranks are producing stars comfortable on the ball, as proven by the U-17s’ semi-final victory over Brazil.
A team ethic, which has given Germany so many successes is also encouraged. The question now is whether the trophies of age-group wins can be converted into an England senior team.
Key will be breakthrough at club level in the Premier League.
At last summer’s Euro U-21 tournament, England fell in the semi-finals to Germany.
Aidy Boothroyd’s side had 20,000 top-flight minutes on the pitch – 17,000 fewer than the Spanish and 11,000 fewer than the Germans.
Boothroyd says: “It has to progress, doesn’t it? Although we’ve done so well in the younger age groups, when you look at that next step and see you’ve got less club game time than the Germans and Spanish, it’s a huge difference.
“When players have those experiences, they are the little things that just tip it over the edge to win – because they’ve experienced it before.
“Our lads have done the best they can at that age group, now the next thing is to do it at U-21s level and at senior level.”