PAUL JIGGINS is SunSport’s man on all things England Under-21 and Under-20.
Find out how he has been getting on this week at the world-famous breeding
ground of tomorrow’s stars: The Toulon Tournament.
England U-20s opened their campaign perfectly, with a 3-0
win over Qatar, before slumping to a 2-1
loss at the hands of Brazil.
Read Jiggo’s top moments below:
— THE stunning South of France and the friendliness and
hospitality of the locals.
— BEING one of the English journalists who, after discovering he
was staying in the same hotel as ‘South Korea’ for the first week, spent
four days before their game against England trying to tap up their players
and staff for inside info – only to discover they were in fact the China
squad.
— AFTER being told by one South Korean — sorry, Chinese — player
that he could speak English, I then asked him about his country’s chances of
reaching the final of the tournament. He replied by giving me directions to
the hotel restaurant. I’d take that Rosetta Stone tape back if I were him.
— TV commentator John Roder’s physical likeness to Neil’s dad in
The Inbetweeners. Bumder! (That’s Neil’s dad of course, and not John, who is
a top fella and fountain of football knowledge.)
— THE outdoor swimming pool at our first hotel being so cold the
China squad used it as a giant ice bath on returning from training and
matches. Which was handy for them, but not so appealing for those
holidaymakers sunbathing around the pool.
— MY Daily Mail colleague and designated driver Dominic King
driving off with the handbrake on his hire car…every blooming time.
— SOME of the tiny venues which allow you hear to the players
talking to each other on the pitch and the exemplary manners of the England
youngsters. During the Brazil game, Liam Moore shouted to right-back Tyias
Browning: “Pick up the man on your shoulder, please Tyias.” Please! Wow.
That’s etiquette.
— JAMES WARD-PROWSE’S stunning free kick for England against
Brazil. Who says England’s kids are technically and skilfully inferior to
the rest of the world?
— FA Press man Nicholas Veevers’ nickname: Vauxhall. (After the
team sponsors and as in Vauxhall Veevers, which for anybody under the age of
35 the Vauxhall Viva used to be a car. Well sort of!)
Au revoir!