Preparations begin

England’s Amateur XI, fly to Italy on Saturday in preparation for their opening UEFA Regions' Cup fixture against the Republic of Ireland in Tortona on Monday afternoon.

This Intermediary Round Group Two fixture is followed by games against Scotland and Italy on Wednesday and Friday respectively.

The team - represented by the Southern Amateur League - will be based in Alessandria and will aim to be the first English side to reach the Finals of Europe’s most prestigious Amateur competition.

With the exception of a 2-0 defeat to Jersey in St. Helier last month, Manager, Bob Leeds, is very happy with his side’s preparation to date:

"I was not too disappointed with the result against Jersey," he reflected, "seeing as we gave them both goals on a plate. However I was disappointed with the overall performance, as I thought we prepared well.

"On the plus side, I learned a few lessons and the game provided me with an ideal opportunity to try out some squad players, who I thought played well when called upon," he added.

"Hopefully, it will be a wake up call for the team and they should now be in no doubt as to the size of the task ahead. The preparations and experience gained in Jersey will hopefully stand us in good stead and I know that the players are determined to put that result behind them and focus fully on the group matches in Italy."

The FA appointed Mick Payne as Technical Manager and he is also looking forward to the challenge ahead:

"There is no doubt that the team have a lot of potential. They must put the disappointment of the Jersey defeat behind them and concentrate on the three games in Italy," he said.

You can follow the team's fortunes out in Italy on TheFA.com.

The Squad