Courtesy: North-West Evening Mail


Will set to play in England World Cup qualifier

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

AN Ulverston university student will this week represent England in the FIFA Futsal World Cup preliminary qualifying round.

Will Rooke and his Three Lions team-mates will face group stage opposition from the host nation Latvia, Cyprus and San Marino.

If England finish top of the group they will be guaranteed a place in the main qualifying round of the competition.

GSK Ulverston Rangers player Rooke, who is studying for a Masters in sports biomechanics at Loughborough University, took up the sport – a variant of football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly indoors – around 18 months ago. He made his international debut in May last year and has four England caps to date.

“England have never qualified for a major futsal competition, but I’m confident we can do it,” said 21-year-old Rooke. “It will be tough, and Latvia will be our hardest game, but on the day any team can beat another. Playing for England is amazing and I’m looking forward to the games in Latvia.”

England futsal head coach Peter Sturgess added: “The build-up has been different from all previous competitions in that it has included a training camp in Murcia, Spain, hosted by one of the country’s top professional futsal clubs, El Pozo.

“The players and coaching staff gained a real insight into the professional approach and training methods adopted by the club and the experience has given a real focus for the challenges that lie ahead in a tough qualifying group.

“The squad is determined to give a good account of themselves to further demonstrate the development that has taken place over the last 18 months.”




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com