Cresswell: England experiences have boosted my confidence

Aaron Cresswell talks to England manager Gareth Southgate

 

Aaron Cresswell is eager to bring his positive England experiences back to West Ham United.

The Hammers left-back was part of the Three Lions squad for the recent victories over Malta and Slovakia – the third time he has been called-up by his country – which left Gareth Southgate’s side just two points from securing their place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.

And while Cresswell was an unused substitute for both successes, he confirmed that being part of both wins was good for his confidence after a challenging start to the Premier League season.

“At the minute, it’s not going great at West Ham with three defeats in our first three Premier League games,” confirmed the No3. “But I’m looking forward to getting back in with the lads, as I’m sure Joe [Hart] is as well, getting back on the training pitch and working hard to do what we have to do to beat Huddersfield on Monday.

“I’m also looking forward to getting back to London Stadium and hopefully we can give something back to the fans, get those three points and kick-start our season.”

I’m looking forward to getting back in with the lads, getting back on the training pitch and working hard to do what we have to do to beat Huddersfield on Monday

Aaron Cresswell

Should Cresswell produce the goods in Claret and Blue, he will also boost his chances of securing a place in England's squad for Russia 2018, should they qualify.

However, with fierce competition for places in his position – Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand started both games, while Tottenham Hotspur’s Danny Rose, Everton’s Leighton Baines, Manchester United’s Luke Shaw and West Bromwich Albion new boy Kieran Gibbs have all been capped – Cresswell knows he will need to play consistently well to stay in Southgate's thoughts.

“We’re two points from the World Cup and for me personally it’s a good experience to be part of it with the boys,” the No3, who has two caps, told whufc.com. “Of course, I’d have liked to have got on and played some part, but the lads have done well over the two games and got the two wins, which are the most important thing. We’re two points from qualifying, which is massive.

“The main aim for me is to play well this season and go to the World Cup. It’s an ambition of every footballer to go to the best tournament in the world, so hopefully I can have a good year and we’ll see where we are come the end of the season.

“For me, playing for your country is the pinnacle of your career. It’s nice to be involved in games like we’ve had recently and play in stadiums like Wembley and the Stade de France. I’m delighted that we won the two games and with the experience of being part of it.”

 

Aaron Cresswell in training with England

 

Reflecting on Monday’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over Slovakia, Cresswell was pleased with how his England squad-mates handled a potentially tricky situation after falling behind inside three minutes.

“Obviously they scored first very early on and it showed great character to come from behind, get into the lead,” he observed. “The main thing for us was to get the three points and move away from Slovakia in the group, which we’ve done.

“We’re only two points away from qualifying and we all believe we will get the job done in the next international break.”

England complete their Group F campaign by hosting Slovenia at Wembley on 5 October before travelling to Lithuania three days later.

Cresswell and company go into those games five points clear of second-place Slovakia with a superior goal difference, knowing one victory or two draws will be enough to take them to a 15th World Cup finals.