Sir Trevor Brooking has been talking about the chances of England tasting glory next week at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship - with Frank Nouble set to lead the line for the Young Lions.
The FA's Director of Youth Development, Sir Trevor said the U19s faced a stern test with hosts France, the Netherlands and Austria proving strong group opponents in the eight-nation finals. Nouble will link up with England from Monday at a training camp in the Midlands before they head to Normandy, having played his part in qualification and buoyed by a strong start to pre-season.
Sir Trevor, the five-times Hammer of the Year, said the UEFA U19 Euro experience would serve the likes of Nouble well. "Everything in a tournament is different to life with a club in England. The levels of focus needed, the media scrutiny, the experience of different countries and climates all add to the mix. As does the concentration of matches, in which the opposition are the best young talent.
"Beyond the individual level, what is more important is to develop a way of playing, a philosophy that supports our structure throughout the levels while taking pressure off individuals and placing the emphasis on the whole. "
WATCH OUT FOR A FRANK NOUBLE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON WHUTV
Nouble's England will be based in Caen and will take on Austria, Netherlands and France in their group-stage fixtures on Sunday 18, Wednesday 21 and Saturday 24 July respectively.
The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday 27 July, with the final due to be held on Friday 30 July. The other four nations involved in Group B are Spain, Portugal, Italy and Croatia. The top six teams in the finals will also go forward to the FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia next year as UEFA's representatives.
Meanwhile, Sir Trevor reminded that despite the disappointment suffered by the senior squad at the FIFA World Cup, the U17s had already shown this summer that England are improving at youth level. Academy prospect Robert Hall was part of the squad that went to Liechtenstein and returned home with the trophy, while the club also have high hopes for U16 starlets Matthias Fanimo and Blair Turgott.