Following in the footsteps of Messi
Alex Scott and his England teammates are heading to the competition that helped launched the career of global superstars such as Lionel Messi having departed for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.
Their tournament gets under way on Monday against Tunisia and Group E will see the Young Lions also face Uruguay on Thursday 25 May and Iraq on Sunday 28 May (all 7pm BST kick-off times), before the knock-out stages begin on 3 and 4 June, with the semi-finals on Thursday 8 June and the final on Sunday 11 June.
‘It’s huge for all of us,’ Guernseyman Scott told Sky Sports yesterday as the England team departed.
‘It hasn’t really sunk in yet that we’re playing in a World Cup. I think that will come when we’re out there, but some massive names have played in this tournament and gone on to do so many great things.
‘It’s such a privilege to play for my country, whenever I do get the chance, and for it to be my first ever World Cup – hopefully it won’t be my last and hopefully one day I can do it with the senior team.
‘All the lads are raring to go and we can’t wait for that first game.’
With the tournament not being played in an international window, England have travelled without some players still involved in the domestic league season who will aim to join up with the squad during the competition, but Bristol City midfielder Scott is confident they will cope.
‘It’s a privilege to play for your country and I’m sure they’re so eager, once the season has finished, to get out here and play with us,’ he said.
‘We’ve got such a talented group anyway, we’ll be ready for the first game on 22nd and hopefully we can win that game and that will put us in good stead for the rest of the tournament.’
The U20 World Cup had been scheduled to take place in Indonesia, but a late change saw it switched to Argentina, and England head coach Ian Foster believes it will be a special experience his players will never forget.
‘We are going to the home of the senior team world champions, and they are the most decorated U20 World Cup team, having won the tournament six times, so it all adds into the mix.’
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‘I spent a couple of days in Argentina recently and managed to go to a Primera Division game, which gave me a taste of what is to come in terms of the atmosphere, how passionate the supporters are and it will just be a wonderfully new experience for our group of players to play in those, in front of those type of supporters. We can’t wait.’
Foster led the corresponding age-group to U19 European Championship success last summer, with Bristol City midfielder Scott playing a key role in that triumph
The head coach believes England are on the more difficult side of the draw for this tournament, but they should take confidence from what they achieved at the Euros in Slovakia.
‘All we want is to give a true account of ourselves. We want to play our way, we want to be authentic, and we want to show everyone why we were the team who won the European Championship last summer,’ Foster said.
‘If we can do that and if we can continue to build on the culture that we have created over the last couple of seasons, then I think we can go deep into the tournament, which is what we are all hoping for.’
