Courtesy: Evesham Journal


Troy gets an England call-up

By Sportsdesk

TROY Wood is set to throw the international spotlight on Worcester City after being handed an England call-up.

The 18-year-old striker, currently on loan with Evesham United, has been included in a 30-man training squad for the national Futsal team.

Futsal, played by the likes of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zid-ane, is a small-sided version of football, similar to five-a-side but using hockey-sized goals and no rebound boards.

The fast-paced game is played over two 20-minute halves and each team can use seven substitutes on a roll-on roll-off basis.

Originating in South Amer-ica, Futsal is played in more than 100 countries and is the only small-sided format supported by FIFA and UEFA.

Wood visited the national sports centre at Lilleshall at the end of last year for a training camp and has been recalled for another camp at the Shropshire base tomorrow.

The players, picked primarily from non-league clubs and academies, will be put through their paces by Eng-land coach Graeme Dell.

Wood said: "It started off in about December. Graeme Dell came to watch me in a league game. It's a quick game and he thought I would be good to go for a trial.

"I had never played Futsal before, I just went along. It's good and it's faster than five-a-side. You use the sole of your foot to control the ball, hence the name Futsal.

"I can't wait to go again and hopefully he will pick me for the squad."

Wood added: "Graeme al-ways says you can be a great footballer but it doesn't mean you will be a good Futsal player."

The game, which relies heavily on skill and technique, was only introduced in England three years ago and England have never won a game at international level.

They lost all three matches in their European Champion-ship qualifiers last month to Romania, who are a full-time Futsal team, Latvia and Bulgaria.

Wood said: "We are far off compared to the likes of Romania and other teams. The England team is really in its infancy stages."

Dell added: "We are very new to the game and have some 30 years to catch up on."

Admission to Wednesday night's Worcestershire FA Senior Cup semi-final between Worcester City and Evesham United at St George's Lane is priced at £6 and £3.



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