Young Lions joined by Netherlands squad for joint training session

Collaboration was the key at St. George’s Park this week, as the England men’s under-16s and their counterparts from the Netherlands took part in a joint training session at the national football centre.

The Young Lions squad were on camp for two international games with their Dutch counterparts this week and with their opponents also staying in Burton, the coaching staff from both nations decided to train together ahead of their matches in the spirit of learning and providing new experiences for the players and coaches alike.

Taking place on the first day of camp last Monday, the two squads warmed up as one to prepare for the session which then saw the players mixed together for further training exercises before attention turned to the games on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaking about the session, England Football’s head of coaching Tim Dittmer revealed: "When two nations play each other, sometimes you'll spend five or six days together in a hotel and at the same training ground but then only play two 90 minute games, so I was interested in how we could get more out of that time.

"So ourselves and the Netherlands coaching staff got our heads together and designed some activities on and off the pitch, and we've had a session where they've trained together and played against each other and hopefully given the lads some brilliant experiences and opportunities to showcase their ability.”

MU16s head coach Barry Lewtas, who had named a 24-player squad for the two games, added: "We wanted to try and create some unique opportunities and experiences for the players, so we decided to train together to do something a little bit different.

"The ability to bring two teams together, who all play in top academies in the Netherlands and here in the UK, putting them on the same training pitch and allowing them to compete against each other, it was a really positive day and we really enjoyed it. Most importantly, the players enjoyed it.”

The coaching team of the Young Oranje were equally pleased with the outcome of the session too, with Alexander Palland, manager of national teams for the KNVB, saying: "I loved it, it was a nice session.

“I liked the energy of the coaches from England but also, I liked the energy of our coaches.

"The biggest learnings are that we're two competitive countries with a lot of great potential but once we started, the language of football is for all the players the best language they speak.”