Paul Fairclough Lays Down Gauntlet To England C

PIC: Pinnacle

ENGLAND C will use the state-of-the art facilities at St George’s Park for the first time – and boss Paul Fairclough has challenged the 22-man training squad to make a plane seat to Turkey their own.

The Three Lions will meet up on Saturday evening for a two-day training camp ahead of next month’s do-or-die International Challenge Trophy clash.

After a harsh 1-0 defeat in Slovakia at the end of last season, Fairclough’s fledglings must beat their Group A opponents or face elimination.

Now officially a part of Club England, the C team are using the country’s £105m national football centre – and Fairclough will be using the camp to run the rule over recruits both old and new.

“I’m not closing the door on anyone because we’ve still got seven weeks before the Turkey game,” Fairclough said.

“The lads who have been selected are in pole position. They must come to St George’s Park and impress as footballers, characters and people. Should they not the door is still wide open. I feel I’ve picked a well-balanced group of footballers.

“We’ve got to be sensitive to the needs of the clubs. The boys will come to us off the back of a very fierce league game.

“We’ll look after them, do whatever it takes to cool them down and give them the right nutrition straight away.

“There will be different sessions – tactical stuff, theory stuff and the opportunity to watch the opposition on DVD. It’s a weekend to gauge the response of the group.”

England C training squad: