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Talent identification

  • Friday, 28 November, 2008
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Kenny Swain is charged with finding players who have the potential or current ability to represent England.


England v Scotland
Sky Sports Victory Shield
7.40pm, Friday 28 November 2008
Sincil Bank, Lincoln City FC
Click here for full tournament details

With two wins and six points already yielded from their opening two fixtures, Kenny Swain's England U16s are just one positive result away from securing their eighth straight Victory Shield triumph.

The Young Lions take on Scotland at Sincil Bank on Friday, knowing that if they avoid defeat they will retain their stranglehold on the Schoolboy competition.

They began this Victory Shield campaign with a comfortable 6-0 dismissal of Northern Ireland in Ballymena and followed this up with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Wales in Llanelli.

Lincoln City will welcome Ross Mathie's young Scotland side who will be hoping to upset the form guide - Scotland could themselves clinch the Victory Shield with a win on Friday - and Swain is prepared for a difficult night.

"Form counts for nothing in an England v Scotland encounter," he said.

"We’ve had some tight games over the last few years and I’m sure that Ross will bring down a confident squad. He’s a very experienced coach who knows all about playing England south of the border. We’re all looking forward to another exhilarating game."

England U16s have been under Kenny Swain's baton since 2004 and he is charged with finding young players who have the potential or current ability to play international football.

"Our process of evaluation began in the summer when we held a training camp at our National Football Centre in Burton," he explained. "We had a close look at between 40 and 50 players who had been monitored throughout the previous season by our experienced scouts. The Talent Identification network provides all our National Coaches at Youth Level with a database of performing and potential players.”

Recent examples of players who have featured in the Victory Shield and then proceeded to represent England at the highest level include Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Micah Richards.

Swain and his coaching team are hoping some of the players involved in this Victory Shield campaign will follow in those footsteps but, short-term, he is hoping most will partake in next year’s Montaigu tournament in France and then play their way through the higher age development teams.

"The Victory Shield is a fantastic competition that gives many players their first taste of international football,” Swain said. “I'm hoping for a terrific match against Scotland, with hopefully one or two more future England Senior players on show."

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