England Supporters Club

JWP hails England U21s togetherness after USA win

Posted by Team England at 10:53 on Friday 04 September 2015

England Under-21s captain James Ward-Prowse was impressed by the way his squad-mates gelled quickly to beat USA in their first game of the season.

Gareth Southgate’s new-look Three Lions squad only met up for the first time on Sunday evening, with a few days of training to prepare for Thursday’s encounter at Deepdale.

But England looked more than comfortable as a team right from the start, as they enjoyed the better of their clash with a strong and organised USA side, before James Wilson’s second-half goal sealed the win.

“It’s very pleasing,” said Ward-Prowse. “It’s always very difficult when a new squad comes together and you only have a few days to achieve the bond.

“But you could see the quality tonight, we played well and although we’ve only been together for a few days, you could see how well we worked together.”

As part of a midfield three containing Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Dele Alli, with Nathan Redmond and Jordon Ibe attacking from the flanks, the Southampton man knows England pose a threat.

Ward-Prowse was one of a few members of Southgate’s new squad who were present in the summer when their challenge in the Euro Finals came to an end in the group stages.

But having experienced that disappointment in Czech Republic, Ward-Prowse believes the reaction in general was just what England needed.

“I think after losing in the summer it was important to regroup and learn from those defeats and experiences that we’ve had,” he admits.

“We were very happy with how the team responded tonight and picked up a good win.”