Bertrand - Experience is key

Blues stopper benefitting from time at City Ground

Last updated: 7th September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Bertrand - Experience is key

Bertrand: Relishing experience

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Defender Ryan Bertrand is relishing the chance to earn first-team experience while on-loan at Nottingham Forest from Chelsea.

The 21-year-old, who has also enjoyed successful loan stints at Norwich and Reading, has joined Championship promotion hopefuls Forest until January.

After witnessing fellow England Under-21s Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere benefit from experiences away from their parent club, left-back Bertrand is eager to continue his development.

Develop

"It all depends what your position is at a club, and who else is in that role, but going out on loan is a fantastic thing to do," said Bertrand.

"You go out and play games instead of sitting still. It is important to develop. Going out on loan has benefited me."

Bertrand feels seeing players such as Gibbs and Wilshere emulate the likes of James Milner and Adam Johnson by progressing into England's senior set-up provides the ultimate motivation for the Young Lions squad.

"It is massively important," he added. "You see the boys who have gone up and done well, then managed to stay in the England team, it has benefited them really well.

"Probably more so now since I have been an England player I have noticed more of a togetherness throughout the whole system - we all feel as one in terms of getting players up into the first team.

"It is all looking positive and it is important we do the best we can."

Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce agrees that his players are spurred on by the thought of breaking into England boss Fabio Capello's set-up.

Pathway

"In the players' mind, they feel the pathway from the youths into the Under-21s and then the seniors is probably a bit shorter than it has been in years gone by," said Pearce.

"They know my connection with the seniors, that I speak regularly with Fabio and that I am with both squads on a normal get together.

"We have developed more of a club feel if you like, rather than an international feel."