Family tears at his call-up, now Coady hopes to cap a fine career
CONOR COADY has made it clear he is not in England’s squad to make up the numbers as he targeted a cap to realise his boyhood dream. Life changed for the captain of Wolves on Saturday evening when Gareth Southgate phoned to tell him he had been called up for the Nations League fixtures with Iceland and Denmark to fill the void left by Harry Maguire’s withdrawal. The news, said Coady, reduced his wife, Amy, and his parents to tears, and the joy with which he spoke at St George’s Park was still evident four days on. Coady, 27, who could fit easily into a back three if Southgate chooses to deploy that system in
Iceland, emphasised that he sees a wonderful opportunity for him to play his way into the head coach’s plans. ‘First and foremost, it’s about being here to help,’ said Coady, who captained England’s Under 17s when the won the European Championship in 2010. ‘That is what we are all here for — we want to make England better. We want to enjoy being with England. ‘All the lads know that when we are out training, we have got to improve and get better as much as possible. As long as I am doing that, it will be fantastic for me and I hope I can do it every day. ‘Caps for England would be incredible, the pinnacle of any Englishman’s career. I know in my own head that is something I want to do — and everybody’s fighting to do it. I need to be ready if that time ever comes.’ Coady was sold by Liverpool in 2014 after just one Europa League appearance but became an integral part of the Wolves success story. He added: ‘The phone call from Gareth was incredible. I’ll never forget it, this is an incredible honour.’