Young United players forcing themselves into England reckoning
Manchester United's youngsters have been attracting attention from England's various age groups with Jesse Lingard coming in for particular attention after his recent form.
The 22-year-old has already been mentioned in connection with a first senior call-up to Roy Hodgson's squad at a later date, even if Reds boss Louis van Gaal feels he needs to prove his consistency in the Barclays Premier League first.
Nonetheless, England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has provided a glowing reference for the Warrington-born livewire. "I'm amazed they [United] weren't inundated with more bids to prise him away in the summer, especially having played as well as he did in the European Championship," Southgate told TheFA.com.
"We are not surprised [by his breakthrough] because we have liked him from the off. Physically, he has been a late developer and we think there is still some physical growth to come but he's an intelligent footballer and he will carry out the role he's asked to do, which I think the manager there will quite like.
"He is at a club where you know you have to perform every week but over the years that's how the youngsters there have been raised. They know they're going to have to perform in front of 70,000 people and that brings expectations. He's got the shirt at the moment and, knowing him, he'll do whatever it takes to hold onto it. People at the club, for a long time, stuck with him at a time where he was a small one."
United Reserves coach Warren Joyce acknowledged Lingard made a big impression at international level during last summer's Under-21 tournament, when he scored a fabulous winning goal against Sweden. "There is a resilience, doggedness, determination and sheer will to win in Manchester United players," Joyce told ManUtd.com at the start of the season.
"We have players with those characteristics in abundance. Look at Jesse in the England Under-21s. He didn't want to lose. His will to win saw him driving forward in those games and Andreas Pereira with Brazil had the same mentality to win. They don’t expect to lose and know they’ve got to come on and change games.
"I spoke to people from the England set-up about those sort of things and sometimes there are players who might play in the Premier League or league football and they’ve never won anything. They might never have won even a Youth Cup or the Under-21 Premier League. They’re not used to it and it can be different competing in the Premier League mid-table area, winning some and losing some and just doing all right. There is a different expectation here – you’ve got to win every game and that pressurises the players at this club."
Despite having such a strong core of English talent within the ranks, there are not too many Reds in the various age groups with Lingard too old for the Under-21s and James Wilson unavailable due to injury.
However, Ashley Fletcher has received his first international call-up to the England Under-20 squad. "He has absolutely worked his socks off and led the line well," commented Joyce. The striker is deputising for Demarai Gray in two games against France after the Birmingham City forward was promoted to the Under-21 party.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, fresh from his debut as as a substitute against West Bromwich Albion, was drafted into the England Under-19 squad. The news has completed a whirlwind week for the left-back, who replaces Chelsea's Jake Clarke-Salter and could feature against the Netherlands and Japan. Schoolboy Angel Gomes is the Reds' sole representative in the England Under-16 squad.
One player still waiting on a first call from England is impressive central defender Axel Tuanzebe, who was on the bench at Crystal Palace and grew up in Rochdale after being born in DR Congo.
When quizzed on his eligibility, the 17-year-old told ManUtd.com: "I get asked this question a lot. It is just that there is great talent out there and hopefully I’ll get my chance soon. There are some good players in the 1997s group but hopefully my chance will come."
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar