Porter looks ahead to 'intense' knockout stages

After making it back-to-back wins in the group stage, England advanced to the round of 32 at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.

Goalkeeper Jack Porter played his part in helping the Young Lions reach the knockout stages, keeping a clean sheet last time out against Egypt.

Ahead of England’s match-up against Korea Republic on Saturday 15 November (12.30pm GMT kick-off), we caught up with the Arsenal stopper.

Congratulations on reaching the knockouts. Getting through the group stages must’ve been your first aim of the tournament?

Yeah, of course. In every tournament, you want to get through the group stage comfortably and reach the knockout rounds. We’re really conscious of not looking too far ahead and just taking it game by game, but reaching the round of 32 is really exciting, and we’re all looking forward to our match on Saturday.

When you look at the Haiti and Egypt games, there’s plenty of confidence to take from those results, isn’t there?

You always take confidence from good results, especially when you’re scoring eight goals in one game and then winning 3–0 in the next. For me personally, keeping a clean sheet against Egypt was a big boost, not just for me as a goalkeeper but for the team as a whole. As a group, we want to score as many goals as possible, so those kinds of performances definitely give us confidence going into the next round.

And how important is that confidence boost, going into the round of 32?

It’s so important for us to keep building confidence. With the squad we’ve got, we know there are goals in the team, but that belief comes from every player on the pitch, even the defenders who help keep clean sheets. Clean sheets win titles, so we all understand the part we play and how that group effort boosts our confidence both on and off the pitch.

What can we expect from Korea Republic in the next round?

We’re expecting a physical challenge and another intense game. We know Korea Republic finished second in their group, just like us, so we’re not underestimating how tough it’ll be. Every game in a major tournament is difficult, especially in the knockout stages, so we’ll be doing our homework and making sure we’re as well-prepared as possible.

How did you find playing three teams from three different continents in the group? What did you learn from those games?

We’ve really seen the diversity that comes from playing teams from different continents – all three of our group-stage games were completely different. For example, Venezuela were very intense, Haiti were also intense but more direct, and Egypt could adapt and play in a variety of styles. The biggest lesson we took from those games was to respect each team’s approach and be ready for something different every time we stepped onto the pitch. Getting the two wins against Haiti and Egypt also showed that our preparation paid off.

You’ve been in Qatar for a couple of weeks now, so everyone must be used to the climate and become accustomed to the facilities and tournament routine?

Personally, I think Qatar is one of the best places to host a World Cup. Everything’s really close by, our training facilities have been great and the Aspire Zone is really cool. The boys have all settled in really well, and being so comfortable in camp has definitely helped our performances on the pitch – everything’s just flowing nicely.

Who have you spent a lot of time with off the pitch? Have you learned more about each other after being together for a prolonged period?

This group’s really lucky because most of us have known each other for a long time. The majority have been together on England camps from the U14s through to the U16s, so it’s been really easy to gel with everyone. While some of the boys naturally gravitate towards certain groups, we’re a close-knit team and everyone gets on really well.

What have the boys been doing off the pitch to keep spirits high and break up the time between training and games?

The FA and the staff here on camp have made it really easy for us to enjoy our time off the pitch. We’ve got a social room where most of the boys spend their downtime – there’s ping-pong, FIFA and darts, so it’s a great place to relax. A few of us also have a movie night every evening. We’ve managed to get out and explore Doha a bit too, which has been nice.

What’s been your personal highlight of the tournament so far?

It’s definitely got to be keeping a clean sheet against Egypt and making a few important saves to help keep the team in the game. Having my family in the stands for that one made it even more special.