eLions name new coach and squad for the 2022-23 season

England’s official esports team, the eLions, have named their new squad and coach ahead of the start of the FIFAe Nations Cup campaign.

Long-standing eLions Tekkz (Donovan Hunt) and XL Tom (Tom Leese) will once again be alongside MHaywxrd (Mitch Hayward) and the trio have been joined in the squad by Stingray (Dan Ray) and EthxnH (Ethan Higgins).

The eLions will be led by coach Zac Moore, who coached SAF to the final of the FIFAe Club World Cup 2022, where they recorded a top-two finish.

The players are no longer chosen via a selection tournament, with players now shortlisted by the eLions coach and technical team based on a number of criteria, including where you rank on the FIFAe leaderboards and consistency throughout the season.

There will also be three points in the season where players could be added to the eLions squad and you can learn more about the selection process in this detailed explainer here.

Moore said: “It is truly an honour to coach the eLions and be part of their FIFAe Nations journey, which I have followed closely for a number of years.

“My club coaching career has been an experience which has required both hard work and dedication, which is nothing short of what I will apply to my new role as the eLions’ head coach.” 

The eLions will be kicking off their FIFAe Nations Cup campaign on Thursday and Friday this week with the first of three Play-Ins, which take place between December and March.

In each Play-In, a squad of four can be selected and then there will be 2v2 matches with multiple nations played across a two-day period, with the first coming this Thursday and Friday.  

The world is divided into five regions and in Europe there are four conferences, each with two divisions where teams can be promoted and relegated.

The two-two teams in each conference following the three Play-Ins will progress to the FIFAe Nations Playoffs, with the rest looking to book one of the final slots via the FIFAe Nations Online Qualifiers in April.

The Playoffs will then determine the 23 nations who will join the hosts at the FIFAe Nations Cup 2023 next summer, looking to emulate Brazil in being crowned the best team in the world.

Stingray said: “After almost qualifying to be an eLion myself through ‘eLions: The Eliminator’ back in 2021, I am proud to have been selected to play for my country based on my consistent performance.

“I have had a successful couple of club seasons, finishing as the highest-ranked English player' last season and am looking forward to applying myself and playing to the best of my ability for the team.” 

You can learn more about each of our eLions below and we have more about Play-In 1 here at EnglandFootball.com.

You can also follow all of the eLions action on our new Twitter account @EnglandGaming and watch the Play-Ins live via England’s Twitch channel (twitch.tv/England), which can be accessed by clicking here. 

Elions coach: Zac Moore

Date of birth: 24/06/98 (24)

From: South Wales

eTeam: Coach at SAF

England eLions managerial debut: Thursday 15 December 2022

Key achievement: Coached SAF to the 2021-22 FIFAe Club World Cup Finals and a second-place finish

Club support: Manchester United

Favourite player in world football: Cristiano Ronaldo

Favourite England player: Harry Kane

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

I was six years old and then I was 16 when I started playing competitively.

What does it mean to have the chance to coach England in these major campaigns?

I am excited more than anything because I know I can give them the extra five or ten percent the team needs to get over the line.

In the last couple of years, you could argue the team has underachieved when you look at the talent pool we have.

I am viewing it as we win the eNations Cup or it has been a failure for me. One of our players is considered by some as the greatest player of all time (Tekkz) and we have other players who have been number one in the UK in the past (XL Tom and Stingray), so we have the squad to go all the way.

How would you describe your coaching style?

I am not an aggressive coach or the type to shout. I have been on the playing side so I am not someone who is going to damage someone’s confidence but equally if I see the same mistakes over and over again, then I might raise my voice and shout.

But my style is more about trying to improve each player’s performance. When we are practising, it is not really about the results, it is focusing on improvement and giving them the five or ten percent.

The players can be the best in the world but they still need reminding sometimes what we have to do differently and they don’t have as much time to watch the other teams play.

So I try to do a bit of everything. Where a normal coach has other departments to cover everything, I am a bit of all-in-one and I think it helps having been a player to know how they are feeling when they are playing.

How do you assess England’s chances going into an eNations Cup campaign?

Winning the eNations Cup is obviously difficult because there are so many good teams like Germany, Netherlands and the reigning champions Brazil, to name a few, but we have the players to do it. We’re going into it a anything less than a win will be deemed a failure.

Elions players

Fnatic Tekkz

Full name: Donovan Hunt

Date of birth: 02/06/2001 (21)

From: Dawlish, a seaside town 15 minutes from Exeter

eTeam: Fnatic

England eLions debut: March 2019 when we played in the eNations and got to the quarter-final.

Key achievement: 5x FUT Champs Cup winner

Club support: I’m a big Liverpool fan

Favourite player: I have a few. My favourite non-Liverpool player is Lionel Messi but then for Liverpool, I like Luiz Diaz, Thiago and Ibrahima Konate. They are a bit of a weird three but they are my favourite Liverpool players.

Favourite England player: Trent Alexander-Arnold, 100 per cent.

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

I have no idea! I remember playing FIFA 08 or 09 when I was five or six but playing competitively, I have been playing since FIFA 17, so five or so years.

What does it mean to be an eLion?

I really like playing for England. I have played ePremier League with Liverpool and we won that so I enjoy the feeling of winning and hopefully I can replicate it with England.

How would you describe your playing style?

Smart. I don’t make many mistakes and then when I am in the box, I like to do some skills. So smart and then skilful.

How do you assess England’s chances in the eNations Cup?

Very good to be honest. FIFA 19, we could have won it and then last year we didn’t perform at our best but we still got to the quarter-finals so if we perform well, then we can get to the semi-final, final and then win. We have some of the best players in the world in our team.

XL Tom

Full name: Tom Leese

Date of birth: 22/10/98 (24)

From: Cheshunt, North London

eTeam: EXCEL Esports

England eLions debut: 2019. I was the first ever eLion alongside Tekkz where we won a tournament to play as an eLion.

Key achievement: 2019-20 ePremier League champion

Club support: Tottenham Hotspur – it is either Tottenham or Arsenal in my area.

Favourite player in world football: Harry Kane

Favourite England player: As well as Harry, another England player I like is Jude Bellingham. But I love the story of Harry Kane. He had a lot of loans at the start of his career, came through and has been one of our most successful goalscorers.

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

I was about five or six and would play against my big brother. He is three years older than me so he got me into football and got me into FIFA. I started competing in pro tournaments when I was 17. I was in sixth form at the time and found out through a mate how to get involved and play against the best players in the world.

What does it mean to be an eLion?

It is crazy and surreal. Having the chance to represent England and go to St. George’s Park, go to Wembley and play in tournaments across the world, wearing the England kit, it is crazy for me because I was just a fan of football like everyone else is. Then I am here and play FIFA as part of the England set-up. It is mind-blowing and something I do not take for granted.

How would you describe your playing style?

I am an aggressive player, who tries to dominate and control the game, mainly through high pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch. I can’t stand letting the opposition keep the ball, playing it side-to-side so I like to be aggressive. So high-pressing and controlling are probably the best words I could use.

How do you assess England’s chances in the eNations Cup?

I think we have a really good chance this year. We have a lot of good players and have added a lot of quality to the squad. There is no reason why we can’t win it. We have always had some of the best talents there and this year is no different. We have a great chance.

MHaywxrd

Full name: Mitchell Hayward

Date of birth: 10/04/99

From: Wembley, about 15 minutes from the stadium. You can see the arch from my house.

England eLions debut: March 2021.

Key achievement: 2020-21 ePremier League Final

Club support: Arsenal

Favourite player in world football: Lionel Messi

Favourite England player: Bukayo Saka

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

When I first started playing I was about five or six but the first one I remember properly was FIFA 09. I got it for the PS3 for Christmas and I was over the moon. So I would have been nine or ten.

What does it mean to be an eLion?

It means a lot. As a country we have a great pool of FIFA players, especially compared to other nations. There are plenty of top nations but our depth is very good because there are plenty of players who are good enough to play for the national team so being selected means a lot for sure.

How would you describe your playing style?

I would say it has adapted over the years. When I first broke onto the scene, I was a bit more slow tempo and possession-based but you have to adapt year in, year out. So this year, for example, it is not really that type of game so you have to adapt. Now I am more based around getting down the wings, getting to the byline and looking for cut-backs and extra passes.

How do you assess England’s chances in the eNations Cup?

Every year we have a great chance of winning the eNations Cup because we have such a great pool of players in this country when it comes to FIFA. So we have to go into the competition looking to win it for sure. There will be plenty of other nations that could but I expect us to be right up there.

Stingray

Full name: Daniel Ray

Date of birth: 16/09/03 (19)

From: Bromley, South East London

eTeam: Atlantide Wave

England eLions debut: N/A

Key achievement: 2021-22 FIFAe Club World Cup Finalist (2nd place) 

Club support: Charlton Athletic

Favourite player in world football: Lionel Messi

Favourite England player: Jude Bellingham

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

I started playing FIFA in FIFA 19 so I would have been around 15. I hadn’t really been playing much casually, I just jumped straight into it. One of the main things which made me push on was my determination and drive to always want to be the best and try to beat everyone. Some days I would sit there all day and then other times I might play a game and I won’t feel it so I would jump off after a game or two.

What does it mean to be an eLion?

It means a lot. One of the main things is it means I can play in the eNations and it is another tournament for me to try to win for England.

How would you describe your playing style?

So I have a bit of flair and I like to play with vision, where I can spot things.

How do you assess England’s chances in the eNations Cup?

I think we go into the eNations as one of the favourites. We have some of the best players in the world and I would like to think we can win it. Playing in the eNations is probably the pinnacle of FIFA so I can’t wait to play in it.

EthxnH

Full name: Ethan Higgins

Date of birth: 19/01/2001 (21)

From: Chelmsley Wood, a small town in Birmingham

eTeam: FUTWIZ

England eLions debut: N/A

Key achievement: 2019-20 FIFAe Club World Cup finalist (2nd place)

Club support: Manchester United

Favourite player in world football: Lionel Messi

Favourite England player: Jude Bellingham

How old were you when you started playing FIFA?

I started playing FIFA back in FIFA 07 to 09 kind of time so I would’ve been around six to eight years old.

What does it mean to be an eLion?

I am very proud to finally break into the national team. Lots of hard work has gone into this so I’m looking forward to competing with the lads.

How would you describe your playing style?

My playing style is aggressive, I want to be in control of the ball but I’m also someone who is very happy to defend a lead.

How do you assess England’s chances in the eNations Cup?

We have a great chance of winning the eNations Cup because we have some of the best players in the world, so there’s no reason to not aim to win it.