Welshman Steve leads England to World Cup final

THE son of one of Wales’ foremost referees is on the brink of writing his own name in the football history books by leading England Under-17s to the final of the Word Cup in India.

Steve Cooper, whose Pontypriddbased father Keith was a Football League official from 1982-93 before stepping up to the Premier League for three seasons, shook off the disappointment of losing a European Championship final to Spain in heartbreaking fashion to lead England into the final of the World Cup.

Their 3-1 victory over Brazil at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, was built on a hat-trick from Liverpool’s teen whizkid Rhian Brewster as the Three Lions dumped out the South Americans.

Cooper was proud of his side’s mental character after passing such a tough test and England will face Spain again in the final tomorrow.

“I really believe in my boys. I really think whoever we play against we can be better than the opposition. We have to work hard for that it’s not easy,” he said.

“There were times today where we really had to understand what needed to do on the pitch. What we needed to adapt. We will never change our style our game, we believe in it.

“I am really pleased with the boys, the character the mentality they showed. I am really proud of that,” Cooper said.

The England manager emphasised the need for his side to continue playing in their own way and was pleased with the application they showed against the South Americans.

“The plan first and foremost was to play our way of football. That is how we have played in all the matches. We want to dominate possession,” added Cooper.

“If we lose the ball we want the ball back as quickly as we can. That is always our plan. There are many aspects to a good performance. The tactical and technical side, the mentality, the personnel. Overall, great show.”

Cooper is quick to point out that his side have shone defensively – “We’ve only conceded four goals and we’re committed to keeping the ball out of the net,” he says.

“I think you can watch any England team play now and you already have an idea of what you’re going to see. That’s good because it’s a sign of a joined-up approach and a plan all the way from the U15s to the seniors.”

The 37-year-old has a mediocre playing background being released by Wrexham after a couple of years as a professional.

He was then was offered a job working with the club’s Under-11s and had brief spells in the Welsh Premier League at TNS, Rhyl, Bangor City and Porthmadog.

In between driving the minibus and marking the pitches at Wrexham, Cooper discovered the coaching side of the game.

After a three year coaching career in the Wrexham Academy, Cooper moved onto working with the up and coming youngsters at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez.

In 2014, took on the England Under16 manager’s job before moving up to the Under-17s in 2015.