Ben Futcher reflects on 'really positive' ELS camp

England men's Elite League Squad manager Ben Futcher believes his side made good progress during the June camp in Croatia that produced a 2-1 win over Sweden and 2-2 draw with Republic of Ireland.

The ELS is England's Under-20s group and those results came against Under-21 counterparts, a feather in the cap of the Young Lions.

But Futcher also stresses that he prioritises development over scorelines at this stage of his players' international careers.

He said: "It was a really positive camp for us.

"We had a lot of new players with us. There were a number of England debuts, a lot of Elite League Squad debuts, and we were playing against Under-21 sides so two positive performances are something to be proud of.

"We landed back on Wednesday and I'll enjoy a few days off before getting going again next week with player reviews and reports. With this squad we definitely take a broader look at things. We want to help players get to the Under-21s, where they have competitive qualifiers and tournaments, and then eventually to the seniors.

"If the Elite League Squad don't win every game it's not necessarily the be all and end all. What we want to do is mirror what those more senior teams are doing in terms of style of football. We conceded a late goal to Republic of Ireland and mistakes will happen but we'd rather they happened now than when they play the competitive matches down the line.

"The players know the importance of winning, of course, and we want both, but playing with that style is the most important thing for now. I think we achieved that in both games on this camp."

That synergy between different age group teams and coaches is a crucial element of how the Elite League Squad operates.

Futcher works alongside the likes of senior manager Gareth Southgate and Under-21 boss Lee Carsley at St Georges' Park and believes the consistency between the setups is a huge benefit to the players.

He said: "The Elite Squad is an age group where we're close to the Under-21s but we're able to have a look at other players who are not quite in that group and have done well for their clubs.

"We try to mirror the Under-21s because in previous camps players have moved across to train with them at various stages during the week. Lee Carsley came out for our second game in Croatia this week, which is also a boost for the players.

"We're closely linked and we have a club feel, which is great. Even if players are jumping around between age groups there is that consistency there and they know how each team will play."

Futcher holds up Adam Wharton as an example of how the system can improve players.

The Crystal Palace midfielder was selected for the Elite League Squad in March, moved up to the Under-21s during that camp, and is now a member of the senior squad in Germany for EURO 2024.

Futcher says: "Adam benefitted from the close link between us and the Under-21s. It's something we've worked really hard to build and now we can use him as an example of the value of our squad. We give them opportunities to play in different environments, different countries, and then if the step up comes very quickly they're ready. Adam was with us in March, was excellent, has got other opportunities and everyone is delighted.

"We explained to the group in Croatia that they are close to the next level. Things in football move very quickly and they need to make sure they're ready. Our job is to help and support and give them an opportunity to showcase their talent."

And as the age-group changes kick in over the summer, Futcher is ready to once again take on a broad selection of youngsters.

He said: "It is a wide range of players we get. We've had a number of Under-19s with us in this summer camp, we've got some others who will still be eligible next season, which is great because it gives more players an opportunity to be involved.

"We also give an opportunity to players who might not have been in the system up to now who have developed late and are doing really well at club level. It is probably the age-group squad that changes the most because we look to select players at different stages.

"But if they're doing well we're always watching. Hopefully we can help give them a chance to play for their country."