I HAVEN’T been fortunate to be selected for the England C squad to represent my country, but if I did get the opportunity, I would cherish the moment with passion and pride.
Every player who is called on by their country should be honoured and privileged, whether it’s the full national team or England C. A few of my mates have had the chance to play for England C and have always gained great experience when going away with the squad and being coached by Paul Fairclough and Steve Burr.
Playing for your country at any level is an outstanding achievement and the players who are selected play against some quality opponents. I remember going to watch an England C v Turkey B game last season and Turkey had players who had played for the full senior side and some who had played Champions League football.
This can only improve you as a player and is a great learning curve. I also remember when England met Portugal Under-23s a couple of seasons back. A friend played in this game and he called me up afterwards to tell me that he had played against some top-flight Portuguese players, including Yannick Djalo, who was once a Manchester United transfer target.
Gaining a call-up to the squad can give you good exposure, too. There are many scouts and club managers attending these matches to see how their players get on, and it also gives them a chance to look at other players.
From my time in Non-League, I’ve noticed that Cambridge United have signed many players who have played for England C. This is partly due to the players being young, which breeds hunger and desire.
I can see why Cambridge have done this because their philosophy in recent years has been about developing younger talent and turning them into better players who could potentially play on a bigger stage.
There have been many capped players who have gone on to play at a higher level; Craig Mackail-Smith, George Boyd, Steve Morison and Michael Morrison, to name a few. And with England’s frustrating impotence at senior international level, developing Non-League players and giving them the opportunity to play against some of Europe’s growing talent with England C is ideal.
I’ve never felt bitter about not being selected for this squad. I’ve been in dressing-rooms and had the lads wind me up, asking me where my caps are? My reply has always been: “Where’s your League games?” Just the standard gentle banter that goes on.
There are a lot of lads capped at England C level in Non-League. I’ve been in a team that has had many called up and, from what I’ve heard, the set-up is very professional when they are at the training camp.
They are picked up in big Mercedes by their very own chauffeur and driven to the camp, where they meet the rest of the squad and coaching staff. This may sound big time and glamorous but, once they arrive, they are quickly knocked back down to earth and placed under strict orders.
They are given a very disciplined routine, in which they meet together in a room and have to stand up in front of the whole squad and staff to give a detailed account of themselves. They have to describe everything from their weaknesses as a player to what they like to do in their own time.
This shows that these fixtures aren’t only about playing but are to help the players interact with their peers. It improves self-esteem and recognises team values.
It is what manager Fairclough and his staff have instilled in the training camps and their philosophies have been something that players have found a big part of their development and gained great experience from. The players also receive a bonus for playing, which is a nice reward!
The next England C game is a friendly against the Czech Republic Under-21s at the Kingfield Stadium, Woking, next Tuesday (6pm). Fairclough’s 18-man squad features only players from Non-League and all are aged under 23.
It is an opportunity for them to have a taste of European football at a decent level, which can only enhance their game.
Entry is free, so why not pop along to judge for yourself?
*Read TSNLF’s column on www.thesecretfootballer.com
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