Wayne Rooney's journey from England U16s debut to 101 international caps is having a positive impact on the next generation of Three Lions youngsters, according to Steve Cooper.
The England U16s squad watched an FATV video on Rooney as part of a training camp workshop at St George's Park earlier this week in preparation for their eventual 2-1 win over Scotland at Yeovil Town's Huish Park on Thursday night.
"Rooney's story was incredibly motivating for everyone in our setup," commented Cooper.
"He was so open about being a Victory Shield player and what it meant to him and you could see our lads were really engaged with it.
Wayne Rooney scores in the Victory Shield
"It gives them a feel of what international football is and what it means to play for England."
Rooney starred in the seniors' 3-1 win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday, a game that the U16s watched as a group from their St. George's Park base.
"We asked the boys to give us feedback on the game, what they liked about it, the stand out moments and what they could take from it going into both this game and next year," said Cooper.
Wales may have clinched their first Victory Shield title in over 60 years but goals from Joe Willock and Martel Taylor-Crossdale ensured that England could end their Victory Shield campaign on a high in front of 4,377 fans at Huish Park.
"We were a little nervous to begin with," admitted Cooper of the opening exchanges.
"Playing under lights and in front of a big crowd takes some getting used to.
"Not forgetting the level of opposition and on live TV as well but the team adapted nicely and it's all about learning from the experience."
“It's been a pleasure working with these young players ”
Steve Cooper
England U16s will return to action in February when they take on France, Switzerland and Slovenia in an international tournament at St George's Park.
"We've developed our playing style with the Victory Shield and the lads have bonded as team-mates over the three games so we can pick that up in the New Year and move forward," said Cooper of the future.
"It's been a pleasure working with these young players and next year will be another learning experience for everyone involved with games against different countries and a variety of styles."
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