VIDEO: Young: 'We're feeling positive'
By Nicholas Veevers
Tuesday, 31 May, 2011
Players are fully focused on three points says winger Ashley.
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Ashley Young
has revealed that it’s full steam ahead for the England squad ahead of Saturday’s European Championship qualifier with Switzerland at Wembley.
The Three Lions squad linked up on Monday evening in order to prepare for what is the final game of the season and despite the Premier League campaign having wound up over a week ago, Young says there are no signs of slowing down within the group.
“We met up yesterday and we just want to get on with the job in hand,” he explained.
“It’s going to be a tough game come Saturday, but everyone in the squad is raring to go.
“We want to go out there and put on a good display. The boys are feeling really positive after the last few games we’ve played so we just want to give a good performance and get the three points that we need.
“We’ve got a week to prepare for the game and we’ll be training hard this week to make sure we’re ready for it.”
The game is a reverse fixture of last September’s 3-1 win in Switzerland, which was an impressive victory for Fabio Capello’s men at the start of their qualification campaign.
Despite that result though, Young knows that this occasion will be different and needs to be treated with respect.
“We managed to do it in a tough game when we played them away, but we know it’s not going to be easy again,” he added. “We need to concentrate this week to make sure that we’re up for the challenge and up for the game.”
On a personal level, it’s been a good year for Young so far as he’s begun to really establish himself on the international scene and in Capello’s starting line-up during 2011.
With Wayne Rooney missing this game through suspension, that opens up another spot in the team which can be filled by the Aston Villa man, so Young is hoping to step up even further on Saturday.
“I’ve started to feel like more of a regular over the last few games that I’ve started,” he admitted.
“We’ve got a few players that are out this week but I want to continue to work hard and build on what I’ve done and hopefully I can finish up starting the game.
“He’s (Rooney) obviously a great loss, but we have lots of players who can come in and play in that position. I’m sure all of the boys are raring to go, whoever gets that position. It will be a good week for someone to prove their place in the squad.”
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