VIDEO: England is like a family
by Jamie Bradbury
Thursday, 01 September, 2011
Liverpool's Jonjo Shelvey hopes to make his U21s debut on Thursday.
Tickets are still available from Vicarage Road before kick off at just £10 for adults and £5 for children
Check out the FATV VIDEO interview with Jonjo here
Jonjo Shelvey is looking for his first Under-21s appearance against Azerbaijan in Watford on Thursday and says that the England set-up feels like a family.
The Liverpool midfielder has represented the Three Lions throughout all the development age groups before he received his first call up from Stuart Pearce for the first meeting of the new Euro 2013 Qualifying campaign.
First up for England is their Group 8 meeting with the Azeri at Vicarage Road and then on Monday they take on Israel in a friendly at Barnsley. Shelvey is eager to impress and become a regular part of both here with the Under-21s and at Anfield.
"It's nice to play for England at any age, but to be picked for the Under-21s and represent your country at this level is a great achievement for me and my family," he told FATV.
"In the back of your mind when you're in the 16s, 17s, 18, and 19s, you want to progress into the Under-21s but it's not as easy as you'd think. You've got to work hard and when you go back to your club you've got to do the right things day in and day out and that's what gets you to the 21s level.
"It feels like a family. You get to know the staff very well and have banter with them and I think that helps when you are playing. To play for England is a great honour and you can see what it means to everyone. It's good to be around the England national set-up."
Shelvey has settled in well to the squad, that features a host of new faces as well as four Liverpool team-mates, including Jordan Henderson who was part of the squad at the 2011 Finals in Denmark this summer.
FATV were also on hand to see the 19-year-old score a sublime goal in training with the outside of his right boot, something that he says he can't stop watching.
"I feel I've done well and scored a few goals. I've seen it [the goal] about 100 times on You Tube," he admits. "It was nice, but I never really do that, even if it is in training.
"It helps having Hendo, Andre and Flano here," continued Shelvey. "Hendo's been around and has helped us settle in, but having four players in the England Under-21s is saying something about Liverpool and how good the youth set-up is."
He added: "I want to try and get in the Liverpool team on a more regular basis and cement a place in team. At International level I'd like to kick on and make a few appearances for the Under-21s and try to be a regular in this team as well."
Check out the VIDEO here
To follow England Under-21s in the build up to the game, and their fixture at Barnsley on 5 September, log on to TheFA.com, follow at www.twitter.com/thefadotcom or like at www.facebook.com/EnglandU21s
England face Azerbaijan in their opening Group 8 encounter at Watford on Thursday 1 September (7.30pm BST) with tickets still available right uup to kick off from the Vicarage Road TIcket Office at just £10 for adults and £5 for children.
Tickets for the Israel friendly at Barnsley are also priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children, and are available by calling 0871 22 66 777 or
click here to book
.