These are unprecedented times – England should enjoy them
The transformation is incredible, but it is not by accident. In 2013, shortly after taking over as chairman of the Football Association, Greg Dyke was fiercely critical of the structure of English football. “The problem is serious, very serious,” Dyke said about an “alarming” lack of homegrown talent.Dyke set the England team two targets: reach the semis of Euro 2020 and win the World Cup in 2022.Many scoffed at the mere suggestion, external of such success, but he was not too far out.Dyke knew two key building blocks were already in place, two seismic moments in 2012. The Premier League had launched the elite player performance plan (EPPP). It funded an overhaul of elite academies and restructured the system. Since then, more than £3.2bn has been invested in youth development, training, coaching and facilities.Then came St George’s Park.It took the Football Association 11 years to build it after purchasing the land in 2001. Plans were approved, then mothballed, and then resurrected. Finally it opened as the destination of coaching and development of the England team at all levels.The EPPP was no quick fix, a long-term investment. Today, academy players use state-of-the-art training centres with the best pitches, coaches and back-up staff. And then they join up with the England development teams at a similarly high-quality training centre.In 2014, England’s Under-17s won the Euros. Three years later, England’s youth teams won both the Under-20 World Cup and the Under-17 World Cup for the first time. Also in 2017, the Under-19s were crowned European champions again after a 24-year wait.The pathway is not perfect. More than 12,000 boys are in the academy system and 91% will never play a professional game.But 15 years on it has created a production line of talent that has helped to make England the competitive team they are today.Bellingham – who only recently turned 23 – Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Elliot Anderson are star names within the squad as products of EPPP.Such are the depth of options available that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden can be left out of the squad – three players who were part of the squad which reached the final of the Euros just two years ago.Tuchel can choose not to pick them and still get England to the final four of a World Cup.And the production line keeps running, with Alex Scott, Josh King, Ethan Nwaneri and Rio Ngumoha part of the pre-tournament training squad. The Under-19s won the European Championship again in 2022. Then the Under-21s did the same in 2023 and 2025, having not won the competition since 1984.Arsenal’s Max Dowman, 16, broke records for his age-related achievements in the Premier League and the Champions League and is destined to make the step up.
Diterbitkan : 2026-07-13 05:25:00
sumber : www.bbc.co.uk
