England U17s manager backs World Cup winning heroes to get their Premier League chance
Youngsters like Phil Foden and Rhian Brewster, of Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, have both been involved with their teams but are yet to make their first full appearance
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Steve Cooper, the coach of England’s Under 17s – who thrashed Spain 5-2 in the World Cup final on Saturday - hopes his best players will be given first-team chances at their Premier League clubs.
With top clubs looking abroad for talent at an increasingly young age, Cooper implored decision-makers to give his homegrown talents their chance.
Youngsters like Phil Foden and Rhian Brewster, of Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, have both been involved with their teams but are yet to make their first full appearance.
“I don’t think there’s anybody that purposely doesn’t want to give English players a chance but maybe we should be looking a bit closer to home," he said. "There might be a player already in the wings waiting to step up.”
Nonetheless, the incredible success of England’s age-group teams in international competitions this summer - in addition to the Under-17s, the Under-20s also won their World Cup and the Under-19s the European Championship – ensures he is optimistic leading clubs will start to pay attention to young domestic stars.
“Results are starting to show and I think people are starting to sit up and take notice of how good English players really are. And as long as we keep doing that I’m convinced there will be more opportunities further down the line.”
Cooper went on to stress that, although he believes they have the mental strength required to make it at the pinnacle of the sport, his players must continue to work on their technical abilities to guarantee their Premier League opportunities.
“They know nobody’s near the finished article yet. They’re a grounded bunch, they work really hard, they get on with each other really well”, he said.
“What they do is they love playing football, they love being footballers, and as long as they keep that enthusiasm and that appetite they will have a good chance.”
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