Chalobah's loan deal approved by Gareth Southgate

Wednesday 02 Sep 2015
Gareth Southgate speaks to Nat Chalobah in training with England U21s
England Under-21s midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah joined up with the squad at St. George’s Park on Tuesday evening after completing a loan deal with Napoli.

The Chelsea ace joined the Italian outfit on a season-long loan ahead of the transfer deadline, and will be hoping to add to his experience following spells with Watford, Burnley and Reading in recent years.

England v USA

International Match
7.45pm, Thursday 3 September 2015
Deepdale, Preston North End FC
Live on BT Sport
Tickets: £10 adults, £5 concessions

And head coach Gareth Southgate believes that regular first-team football is something which all of his squad should be chasing in the early years of their careers.

"We would advocate going and getting first team football, that’s the most important thing for him [Chalobah]," he said.

"It’s an interesting challenge for him, life-experience wise it’s going to be different for him compared to his other loan moves.

"But I think, for our younger players, the next stage of their development is definitely playing first team football once they’re in the U21s.

"It impacts on their development, we had seven players who started at the weekend out of the 20 players we have here.

"If you look at the boys that have come through [the U21s] and gone into the seniors, Stonesy [John Stones] started lower down and played regularly, Jack [Butland] had three or four loan moves and Harry [Kane] had three or four loan moves.

"So they need to go and get playing League football."

England

Chalobah in action against Portugal's William Carvalho during the 2015 Euro Finals

With more players now choosing to head overseas for those loan spells, it presents an interesting challenge and experience.

And Southgate can see why that is an increasingly attractive and different option for young English players and their clubs.

"Chelsea have now got three at Vitesse Arnhem who are in our younger age groups and we have a couple of other players at U19s and U17s who have gone abroad," he added.

"So maybe it’s an alternative route. The other leagues will play young players, because that is the model of the leagues and that might increasingly become an option.

"But they just need to play first team football more regularly because there’s only so much you can learn [in U21 league], for our group.

"I don’t think the U21 league is for our group, they need to be playing men’s football and under pressure, in front of a crowd.

"Where that is, at this stage, I don’t think is important as long as there’s a continual progression in the challenge."

Southgate’s team begin their season on Thursday evening, when they face USA’s U23 side at Preston North’s End’s Deepdale home.

Tickets for the game are priced at just £10 for adults and £5 for children, with a family ticket (two adults and two children) costing £20 and group bookings of 15+ working out at £5 for adults and £1 for children.

Season ticket holders at Deepdale can also claim half price tickets and concessions for U18s, over 65s and students (on production of valid ID) are £5. Call 0844 856 1966 for details or e-mail: ticketoffice@pne.com

By Nicholas Veevers Content Manager - FA Owned Channels at St. George's Park