The England Under-20s squad were given a warm welcome on their arrival in South Korea, as the World Cup kick-off draws nearer and head coach Paul Simpson says they are raring to go.
Simpson and his Young Lions arrived at their first base for the competition in Jeonju on Tuesday, where they were welcomed by local fans and media alike.
And with group games to come against Argentina, Guinea and the host nation, Simpson admits England cannot wait to get started on Saturday.
“We’re delighted to be a part of it,” he said.
“We know it’s going to be a real challenge coming over here, we’re up against some fantastic teams in Argentina, Guinea and South Korea.
“But we’re really positive, we’ve had a fantastic week over in Japan, staying on Awaji Island and our preparations are going well.”
The Young Lions approach the competition, ranked as FIFA’s second biggest after the senior men’s World Cup, on the back of a strong season with games against a number of high-level opposition.
And Simpson, who took on the role of head coach earlier this year following predecessor Aidy Boothroyd’s appointment as Under-21s boss, is also pleased with the squad he has picked for the trip.
“I’m delighted with the squad we’ve been able to assemble out here and really looking forward to seeing the players perform on a wonderful stage,” he added, as local reporters were keen to hear his thoughts on the Korean team who England meet in their final group game a week on Friday.
“Hopefully, we can entertain the South Korean public and get some positive results.
“We’ll give the same amount of preparation for South Korea as we will do for Argentina and Guinea, we’ve watched a number of their games and we had the great experience of coming over last year to play against them, so we’ll be prepared.
“But first we need to take the Argentina game very seriously and make a good start to the tournament.
“The aim of England is to make sure we continue to develop all of our teams, The FA have put a huge expense into trying to develop all of our teams and this is a really good summer for England.
“We have eight teams to have qualified for major finals and this is another one we’re really looking forward to and hopefully we can be successful.”
