U-20 WC win ‘inspires’ England U-17 boys

The U20 boys did such a good job and it meant great recognition for the academies and young England players coming through.

Winning the Under-20 World Cup is, perhaps, the first indication that things are finally coming together for England when it comes to developing players. Steve Cooper, though, doesn’t think it would translate into greater pressure on his under-17 boys.

“I think it (England’s U-20 World Cup triumph in June) would serve as greater inspiration and motivation,” said the England U-17 coach after an inspection tour of the Salt Lake stadium here on Sunday.

England are in group F of the Under-17 World Cup and will be based here along with Chile, Mexico and Iraq. Representatives of all four teams visited the stadium and the practice grounds on Sunday.

“The U-20 boys did such a good job and it meant great recognition for the academies and young England players coming through,” said Cooper who had a professional coaching licence when he was 26. “But does this mean more pressure on the boys? No. And I would prefer the pressure to do well. We are working really hard to develop the best development programme for the young boys and qualifying for such events is important to that end.”

The Young Lions qualified for the Under-17 World Cup, that will be held in India from October 6-28, after finishing runners-up in the European championships this year, losing to Spain on penalties.

Cooper is a Welshman who spent five years as coach at Liverpool’s academy and briefly played for Wrexham. He said everything about an under-17 World Cup should be a positive life experience for the boys, the weather included.

Beads of sweat lining his forehead, Cooper, 37, said the heat and humidity is not a surprise. “And who knows where future World Cups would be, whether they might be in similar conditions to India or in India itself,” he added.

Like Mexico’s interim coach Echeverria Perez Enrique and Chile’s Hernan Caputto, Cooper too gave the thumbs up to the facilities. “After first impressions, no complaints,” said Cooper, and he could be speaking for the rest of them as well.

Caputto and Enrique said they are planning to reach Kolkata in the first week of October; the group games here start on October 8. Cooper said England could get here earlier.