'We can definitely win it' - Sharman on England's chances at Deaf EUROs

"It's all about the lads, really. The commitment they show, it deserves to be recognised."

Sam Sharman speaks warmly of the group of players he is ready to lead to the European Deaf Football Championships 2024 in Türkiye, beginning on Monday.

The Para Lions coach is a permanent member of staff at the FA, working on the same corridor as men's senior team manager Gareth Southgate and women's senior squad boss Sarina Wiegman at the national team's St George's Park base.

But he's keen to emphasise the sacrifices made by his charges, who work full-time in other jobs alongside representing their country.

He says: "These lads are giving up two weeks of their annual leave. Of course they should be happy to for England, but they've still got families who they have these difficult conversations with.

"The way they've gone about their preparation is great. The vibe we're getting from them at the moment is really good.

"Yes, there'll be bumps in the road, but we couldn't have asked for more."

By 'we', Sharman is referring to a trio of himself, assistant Will Perkins and goalkeeping coach Tony Elliott.

They selected the 23-man squad flying out Antalya on Saturday and hope to inspire their troops to EUROs glory.

Sharman says: "As coaches we're quite similar in many respects but there are enough differences to create a little bit of a conflict, which can be a good thing in terms of looking at new ideas.

"If you get someone too similar to you, you're only going to come up with one answer to every problem.

"We're very pragmatic in our approach but all within our key principles.

"We see the players relatively regularly now, more than we ever did, but it's still not a full-time environment where you can really drip-feed information. We've got to give people time to absorb it so that the next time they come back they can remember what we did previously and apply it."

Sharman has set his players a quiz on one evening in the build up to the EUROs, testing their memory of the fundamentals he has instilled in them over several training camps.

And while he's jealous of the talent pool available at men's and women's senior levels, he believes the consistency in selection in the deaf setup is a benefit.

He says: "We've got a core group who we've established over time and are the best players. 

"No England deaf team goes too far without Jamie Clarke. He's a very experienced player and very good player who plays at a decent level in mainstream football.

"Matt McQueeney and Oliver Manoochehri are senior players. Matt Oaten is going to be our vice-captain, a really consistent performer.

Great day at SGP, we continue to prepare for the Euros. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @England

Proud to see my name on the SGP wall along with other players currently representing England including the first team & @Lionesses! 🙌🏼

Swipe to see our winning team! ⚽️💪🏼@rosiekmita 😄📸

🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/M5FDaev8DJ

— Jamie Clarke (@JayyModel) May 5, 2024

"Ellis McLean in midfield did really well at the last tournament and Kemahti Anderson is a really exciting player who can hopefully have a big impact for us."

Coaching staff are also wary of not missing the next generation of talent.

Annual open trial days are held at George's Park, where any deaf footballers are welcome to turn up and show themselves off to staff.

And the squad depth generated over the years will be crucial at a tournament where England play four group matches in seven days, against Wales, Greece, Scotland and Germany.

Sharman says: "A pragmatic approach is really important because of the limited rest time between matches.

"Players always want to play but we try to explain to them that if they're not 100 per cent then they need to let us know. Then with the depths of the squad, we've got an alternative. It means we can maximise the opportunity of having a healthy, fit squad. 

"If we can rotate players it will hopefully work. If we get to the last game of the tournament, we haven't got players who have played 90 minutes of every game."

And Sharman insists reaching that final, and winning it, has to be the target for a talented group of players.

He says: "We finished tenth at the World Championships last year and there was massive frustration that we underperformed.

"We can definitely win this competition. I'm conscious of not saying we're going to win it because too much can happen in football, too many variables. You're only ever one sickness bug, one bad bounce of the ball, from a result going the other way.

"There are some top teams too. Ukraine are world champions and it would actually be nice to play them because it would give us a good gauge of where we are. Turkey will be strong, Greece bring certain challenges.

"But in terms of preparation and ability of the squad, the way they’ve bought into the strategies and philosophies we're looking to employ, we've got a really good chance.

"I'd certainly be disappointed if we didn't get a medal."