Cooper hails his ball-players

World Cup-winning England Under-17s boss Steve Cooper believes the days of England being derided as technically inferior are over.

Cooper’s side produced a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to defeat Spain 5-2 in the final in India on Saturday, capping a summer of success for England’s youth sides. the u nd er-20s were also World Cup winners while the Under-19s won the European Championship.

Cooper said: “We’re having a good moment, but it’s still only a few years into the current plan and part of that plan is to play in a technical way and dominate the ball and really showcase what these players can do in possession.”