And there he is, our champ

hbd to european champion emile smith rowe

him 😩

Rico Lewis - England v. Serbia - UEFA Euro U21 Qualifier

EMILE SMITH ROWE - England U21 v France U21 - International Friendly - March 25, 2023

Photo by Gareth Copley

Just checked the England U21’s score….

i feel like i missed a banger game….

someone give james trafford a seafood boil and a foot rub immediately 🗣️

Erm, BBC where is your stream for the England U21’s?

Kick off is in 3 minutes and I want to watch some proper football.

TRAFFORD!!!!!!!

ahh i love the u21 boys so much 🫶

So proud of him 🥹

(Stonesford ask in honour of Jordan's birthday)

TIL that a teenaged Jordan & John played together in a winning England U19 game vs Finland (England U19 - Finland U19, Nov 13, 2012 - International Friendlies - Match sheet | Transfermarkt) with Miles Storey who is the current star player/striker of my non-league Tier 6 team. My mind is in disarray I didn't realise this connection existed!!! not to mention that the stadium this game was played at was in Kidderminster which is not far from where I grew up

Feels so strange to think that two world-famous England legends & seniors, the #1 goalie & defender for the whole nation, once shared a dressing room with my hometown game-winner who I go to watch every couple months in our tiny stadium to cheer on with all the local yokels. like they've been coworkers and fellow performers. perhaps a baby Stonesy once smiled at or shoulder-patted Miles? or Picks shouted at him? i'm weak i just want to go back in time and see that game now (have looked for it online and there's just a few short grainy clips :()

sounds obvious to say but for me finding this out brings it home that our Lions exist as real people who've worked at their game and come up with grassroots players if that makes sense. and that Stonesford for all their talent have also been supremely lucky and in another timeline are easily playing non-league/parttime like Miles and my squad (or even no longer playing at all perish the thought)

still it's always worth giving flowers to Stonesford. They were clearly NT calibre and a hardworking successful duo out of the gate and wasted no time getting to the top, they both deserve their success

Yes!!!! That game is where this fic kicks off. The fascinating thing about the whole scenario is definitely the fact that these two went off on different trajectories but eventually made their way back to where they were in 2012, against all odds. I say against all odds because neither of them were particularly touted. John was more-so, sure, but before he played under pep he was very… hit or miss, and everyone knew it. Striking brilliance when he got it right, but a total disaster when he got it wrong.

The U19 manager for this game was interviewed and the way he talks about this team is so interesting. He mentions giving Miles a call up, says he has a chance to prove himself, but he repeatedly caveats the game and the team by saying all his star players have been pinched for the U21s or the men’s senior team. He’s like yeah this isn’t my A team. He calls them boys and children and kind of shrugs off the fact he’s been stuck with this XI. He repeatedly mentions names of players he thought would be big, who with the exception of Raheem didn’t amount to all that much comparatively. When asked what he’d do if he didn’t get the players back from the 21s and seniors, he’s like I’ll just have to rebuild again and find new talent. He specifically doesn’t say “there’s lots of talent in the lads tonight, I’m not worried” sort of thing.

The point I make is they weren’t exactly star boys. The highlights show two classic moments - Jordan coming out of goal and throwing himself dangerously at the ball, causing an ugly pile up, and John panicking a bit on the ball and almost losing possession. John and Jordan were both taken off in the 46th minute which is hardly a glowing review of them both - even Miles got longer on the pitch! Jordan was swapped with Ben Garratt, who didn’t make it beyond the u19s, and John Calum Chambers, who’s England career also fizzled out.

That they both did make it successfully to present day (relegation battles aside) is just mind blowing. For all intents and purposes their careers should’ve mirrored that of Miles and the rest of the team they played with in Finland that night. I don’t know if it’s luck or coincidence or what it is. But you’re right, it makes them so normal and relatable. They’re playing against the best players in the world but they started out not in shiny academies like Kane or being snapped up by top 5 clubs early on like Kyle Walker, but in little run down stadiums for their local clubs taking each game as they came. And now they’re where they are and I just know they’re just grateful they still get to be playing and they just so happen to get to do it together 😭😭😭

swear the only thing england nt can win is u19 and u21 competitions

Congrats Skippy! 💖💖💖💖