U17s Euros is great for England and St. George's Park

Tuesday 27 Jan 2015
Greg Dyke says U17 Euros in England will be 'great' for St. George's Park.

Greg Dyke believes the UEFA European U17s Championship in England will be a great opportunity for St. George's Park. 

UEFA confirmed on Monday that The FA has been awarded the hosting rights to the 2018 edition of the competition that the Three Lions are current holders of.

And FA Chairman Dyke hopes the tournament can provide a springboard for England's players to move up to gain full international honours.

England U17s lift the European U17 Championship title in Malta

England are current holders of the U17s European title

"The FA getting the U17 2018 Finals is great news for football, another tournament coming here," Dyke told TheFA.com. 

"But it's particularly good news for St. George's Park, because it is all going to be based there and in clubs around that area.

"Eventually, those kids - 17 then - some of them could be in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup."

Two years after the U17s Euros, which will be staged in the Midlands, Wembley Stadium will also host the semi-finals and Final of the 2020 UEFA Championship.

It follows on from the recent Champions League Finals in 2011 and 2013, held under the Arch.

And Dyke believes that, with those big events being staged on home soil, it will provide inspiration for England to achieve international success at senior level in future.

The England team parade the European Under-17 Championship trophy at Wembley

The U17s parade around Wembley with their trophy

"We've won the U17s twice in recent years, we'd like to win it again," he said. 

"Then we'd like to go on and certainly be one of the teams who get to Wembley at Euro 2020, and then go on to 2022 and win the tournament.

"That's the dream!"

And Dyke says that one of the keys to World Cup victory will be to ensure more young English talent can thrive at club level, progressing through to earn full international honours.

"The hardest thing in English football is to get the really talented kids who are playing at U17, U18, through to first team. 

"You can understand why it's difficult, the Premier League is the richest league in the world. But somehow we've got to make sure that the most talented kids can get through the system. 

"That's fair to them and secondly it helps the England team and will help us win in 2022."

 



By Jamie Bradbury FA Editor