Home
Rob Holding should have no problem settling into the international fold, according to England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate.
The Wanderers defender was a late addition to the Young Lions party for the Toulon Tournament, his selection only announced on Sunday evening after Everton defender Brendan Galloway pulled out through injury.
Wanderers may have had a dismal campaign, but his inclusion capped a meteoric rise for the 20-year-old, now being chased by Premier League Arsenal among others.
Southgate – who watched Holding in person against Hull City a couple of weeks ago – is sure he has all the tools to succeed at the highest level.
“I'd seen some of his other matches and we've had other people watching his matches as well,” Southgate explained. “He's a centre-back that can use the ball well which I think at this level is crucial.
“That's the way we're trying to progress our young players through the system.
“If we want to get our midfield players into the game, we need players that can use the ball, goalkeepers that can, that's the profile we're looking for.
“I was torn with the initial squad between a loyalty to the lads who've worked with us all season but also Rob was very much a player I wanted to have a look at.
“It's an opportunity for Rob and I think he can settle into this no problem. From what I've seen, the way he plays, he's had nearly two-thirds of a season at Championship level, he's stood out in a difficult season for his club and has some good leadership qualities that are clear on the field.
“He's still a work in progress as a defender, which all of our guys are. He shouldn't have any fear coming into this that he can settle into the group.”
Zach Clough has also popped up on Southgate’s radar this season but faces stiff competition for a place in the England set-up, where Chelsea pair Ruben Loftus-Cheek and John Swift and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish currently occupy his position.
The England boss insists, though, he makes regular checks on the young talent coming through at Wanderers, which could mean good news for Clough and others academy graduates in the future.
“With Zach, if you look at that, number 10 or wide role which I think he is, then you're up against the likes of Ruben and Grealish and Swift,” he explained.
“That's a very competitive area of the pitch but we watch all of these young players regularly – either directly or we have people at the games and we get reports every week. It's very rare that somebody is flagged that we haven't been watching or know quite a bit about.”
England’s squad met at St George’s Park yesterday and will play their first group game on Thursday against Portugal.
They will then face Guinea on May 23, Paraguay on May 25 and Japan on May 27, with the chance of another game in the final or third-place play-off on Sunday, May 29.
Source
The Wanderers defender was a late addition to the Young Lions party for the Toulon Tournament, his selection only announced on Sunday evening after Everton defender Brendan Galloway pulled out through injury.
Wanderers may have had a dismal campaign, but his inclusion capped a meteoric rise for the 20-year-old, now being chased by Premier League Arsenal among others.
Southgate – who watched Holding in person against Hull City a couple of weeks ago – is sure he has all the tools to succeed at the highest level.
“I'd seen some of his other matches and we've had other people watching his matches as well,” Southgate explained. “He's a centre-back that can use the ball well which I think at this level is crucial.
“That's the way we're trying to progress our young players through the system.
“If we want to get our midfield players into the game, we need players that can use the ball, goalkeepers that can, that's the profile we're looking for.
“I was torn with the initial squad between a loyalty to the lads who've worked with us all season but also Rob was very much a player I wanted to have a look at.
“It's an opportunity for Rob and I think he can settle into this no problem. From what I've seen, the way he plays, he's had nearly two-thirds of a season at Championship level, he's stood out in a difficult season for his club and has some good leadership qualities that are clear on the field.
“He's still a work in progress as a defender, which all of our guys are. He shouldn't have any fear coming into this that he can settle into the group.”
Zach Clough has also popped up on Southgate’s radar this season but faces stiff competition for a place in the England set-up, where Chelsea pair Ruben Loftus-Cheek and John Swift and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish currently occupy his position.
The England boss insists, though, he makes regular checks on the young talent coming through at Wanderers, which could mean good news for Clough and others academy graduates in the future.
“With Zach, if you look at that, number 10 or wide role which I think he is, then you're up against the likes of Ruben and Grealish and Swift,” he explained.
“That's a very competitive area of the pitch but we watch all of these young players regularly – either directly or we have people at the games and we get reports every week. It's very rare that somebody is flagged that we haven't been watching or know quite a bit about.”
England’s squad met at St George’s Park yesterday and will play their first group game on Thursday against Portugal.
They will then face Guinea on May 23, Paraguay on May 25 and Japan on May 27, with the chance of another game in the final or third-place play-off on Sunday, May 29.
Source
