Leicester star Liam Moore ready for England return

Thursday 29 Jan 2015
Moore scored his first goal for England in the 2-1 win over Croatia last October
Liam Moore is eyeing up a return to the England Under-21s squad in March as he plans for a summer at the Euro Finals.

The Leicester City defender has been a regular under Gareth Southgate during the second half of the qualifying campaign, even scoring one of the goals in the play-off win over Croatia.

That all came after a solid start to the season with the Foxes, before injury and illness ruled him out of action for both club and country in November and December.

Liam Moore tussles with a Croatian defender

Moore was a regular for the Under-21s during Euro qualification

He missed the double-header against Portugal and France, but is now back to full fitness and featured in Nigel Pearson’s team as they beat Spurs last Saturday to progress in The FA Cup.

And the 21-year-old knows he needs to win back a regular spot with his hometown team to ensure he is at the forefront of Southgate’s plans for the next six months. 

Next up in March is an away game against Euro 2015 hosts Czech Republic and they then face Germany in Middlesbrough to build up for the summer.

"I’ve got to be playing football here at Leicester and that’s my priority because international football comes from your club form," he told TheFA.com.

"There’s not too many opportunities for the [England] coaching staff to see you in training, so it’s important I can get a few more games and then kick-on from there.

"I really want to do well here at Leicester and the main factor in that is because I want to be involved in the England set-up."

Moore has become a popular member of the Under-21s squad, with his defensive partnership alongside Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson becoming a rock on which Southgate has built his team.

Leicester City

Moore, in action against Arsenal's Mesut Ozil here, started the 2014-15 campaign strongly with Leicester

The pairing first blossomed at last summer’s Toulon Tournament before helping see England seal their place at the Finals in Czech Republic with some impressive displays.

And Moore admits that he has a good feeling about the talent and team spirit which Southgate has blended together over the last 18 months.

"It’s a great bunch of lads and I think we could achieve great things," he added. 

"It’s a massive priority for me to get in that England squad again, especially for the summer.

"I think any young player would want to be involved in that, because I really think England will be a force this year.

"With the management and squad that we’ve got and with the right preparation, I’m really excited for what the lads can achieve."

Many of Southgate’s group are now finding themselves as regulars in the Premier League and making a good impression with their respective clubs.

The likes of Saido Berahino, Harry Kane and Danny Ings have been among the goals, and midfielders Tom Carroll and James Ward-Prowse are featuring regularly.

And Moore revealed that the players are all driving each other on to domestic success whilst also strengthening their own cause for the summer.

Liam Moore and England U21s celebrate opener in Croatia

Moore and Three Lions team-mate Harry Kane celebrate Euro success in Croatia

"When we meet up there is always a bit of chat about the games we’ve played against each other. Everyone’s really out there to do well and looking out for the other players in the squad," he explained.

"We all track each other’s progress and are really happy for each other when we do well. 

"You look at the boys up top, like Harry and Saido, and they’re always egging each other on. You can see that in the Premier League, they’re pushing each other to the maximum and both scoring goals.

"We all want to do well for our clubs and for England and I think a lot of the lads have been great for their clubs as well this season.

"It’s refreshing that we’re doing that and pushing each other as hard as we can for their places. That competition can only be healthy for English football."

Tickets for the game with Germany at Middlesbrough on Monday 30 March are on sale now, click here for more details.

Highlights of the Euro U21 play-off game in Vinkovci

 


By Nicholas Veevers Content Manager - FA Owned Channels