England U17s: Jordan-Bound (John Griffiths interview)

England’s Under-17s qualified for the World Cup in Jordan by beating Norway two-one in the European third-place play-off, having lost a four-three semi-final to Germany, and open against North Korea in Amman on 1 October before facing Nigeria and Brazil. Head coach John Griffiths, speaking after a three-week camp in York, calls it the toughest squad he has had to choose, with twenty-five players and four or five to be cut. He says the priority is gathering intelligence on opponents but playing England’s own way, and that he, Mark Sampson and Mo Marley are building one brand of football through the age groups aimed at producing thinking, coach-independent players who solve problems themselves.