England U19s’ new head coach Sean O’Driscoll has set his side a challenge.
He said: “When these boys walked in the door at St. George’s Park I told them that no England U19s team had ever won the European Championship. I asked them ‘how are we going to change that?’”
O’Driscoll has taken an 18-man squad to Luxembourg for the first qualifying round of the Euros, his maiden assignment since he was appointed last month – but, despite his grandiose introduction, he is not jumping the gun or assuming qualification.
England v Belarus
UEFA U19 Championship
First Qualifying Round
3.30pm BST, Friday 10 October
Luxembourg
The Young Lions get their Euro campaign under way against Belarus on Friday afternoon followed by matches against the host nation on Sunday and then Belgium next Wednesday.
Qualification is main aim for the week, but the former Bournemouth, Doncaster Rovers and Bristol City boss has an added agenda.
O’Driscoll said: “When I asked the players that question on Sunday they didn’t see it as a threat, they saw it as a challenge. Now it’s about thinking ‘how do we do it?’, ‘where do we have to start?’, ‘what can you contribute as an individual to make this team successful?’
“It’s all simple stuff really, but I want the players to take more responsibility and we are trying to make things a little bit more flexible for them to do that.”
He added: “We brought in a magician a few days ago. It was ultimately a bit of fun for the boys but I wanted them all to learn a trick. We all knew what the outcome of the trick would be, but I wanted them to learn the process of how it got to that stage, and I told them that.
“I want them to learn how they can become better players and become a better team and what they need to do to make that happen.”
The Euros are at the forefront this week but, as a youth team manager, O’Driscoll is also responsible for helping to develop England players of the future. He is unfazed by that task, though, as it is something he has done throughout his coaching career.
“These players are as good as anything that’s out there in any country in the world”
Sean O'Driscoll on England's U19s
He explained: “At what point does a footballer stop developing? Brendan Rodgers tells a story that Steven Gerrard came to him and said ‘make me a better player’ and he was 32, 33. Players develop in different ways so you need to identify the correct method for each individual.
“We try and develop them as people as well as players. We get a bit bogged down in different ‘styles’ of play. If you can develop the player, the style will follow.
“And, despite what people say about English footballers, on a technical level the players I have seen in this age group are as good as anything that’s out there in any country in the world.
“They are the best of the best. And there are players that we will have missed. It’s not just these 18 players, there are loads more out there, including the players that had to pull out this week. But the quality of this squad is excellent."
He added: “Credit to the boys. They have integrated really well with each other. Now we just want to carry the good work we’ve done into the next three games – and hopefully into the elite round and then the finals.”
