Steve Cooper says England U17s focused ahead of World Cup final
Friday 27 October 2017 16:45, UK
England U17s manager Steve Cooper admits there is "no greater test" for his side than the World Cup final.
England face Spain in Kolkata on Saturday, after securing a 3-1 win over Brazil in the last four of the competition.
Cooper's side are now aiming to emulate the success of England U20s, who won the World Cup, and England U19s, who clinched the European Championships.
Cooper said: "We have a clear plan for all the teams at the FA. We are all working towards the same objectives which is to compete and win senior events.
"We do know what success looks like at this stage, in terms of building for the future, and the work at St George's Park does make it a lot easier.
"For us, there are two good teams worthy of playing in the final of this top competition. It will be a tight game and evenly contested, but one you expect in a World Cup final.
"It is a final which we want because, ultimately, these boys are working towards the long term so you need tests along the way and there is no greatest test than Saturday."
The England boss has also played down talk of revenge after Spain beat them in the final of the U17 European Championship in May.
He added: "We (the U17s) are very much about the mentality of looking forward, rather than back. We are very proud of our performance at the Euros. It was the players' first official event for UEFA and FIFA, so to play as well as we did, is a great start.
"But Saturday is another game. We are just treating it like any other game to make sure we plan and prepare well. We show great respect to anyone we play. Spain will be no different, but it is about what we do on Saturday."
England's semi-final victory on Wednesday saw Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster grab the headlines as he scored a hat-trick to send the U17s to their second final in five months.
Brewster has been praised for his match-winning performance, but Cooper was keen to compliment his entire side for their efforts against Brazil.
"I think all the players showed that they can perform to a high standard in what was a high pressured game, so early in their careers," added Cooper.
"The performance they put in showed that the boys can go further in their England careers and these experiences will serve them right and Rhian was a good example of that, but so was everybody else.
"The mood in the camp is very spirited at the moment as you can imagine. We are very excited, but we have a very focused group of boys and it is how we want it to be. We know it is a massive game."
