Young Lions visit Battlefield of Waterloo

Our England men’s under-17s squad enjoyed more than just football during their recent trip to Belgium, with an educational visit to the Battlefield of Waterloo.

The Young Lions were in Belgium to play two games against their hosts at the Tubize national football centre in November’s international window as they prepare for next year’s UEFA U17 EURO second qualifying round.

And they made the most of the time between games on their free day by visiting the Battlefield site in Waterloo, which was a short drive away from their base for the week.

The Battle of Waterloo was fought in 1815, as a coalition of forces led by the Duke of Wellington of the Anglo-Allied force and Gebhard von Blucher of the Prussian army took on Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army, who were aiming to advance across Europe. A famous victory ensued in what was the decisive battle of its age, to end Napoleon’s imperial power forever.

And the England squad and coaching staff were able to take in the sights such as the famous Lion Mound and Panorama to see the views of what took place at Waterloo as well as the new underground museum at the Battlefield Visitor Centre.

Speaking about the trip, Wayne Cahill, player education lead for our men’s development pathway teams, said: “We’ve been focusing more on delivering enrichment education sessions to players this season, in addition to their more formal education programme, highlighting the history and culture behind the England national team and our country.

“During the recent camp, we had the opportunity to take the MU17s to the Battlefield of Waterloo and organised an immersive session where the players took part in a battle re-enactment, providing them with an engaging way to learn about this significant historical event.

“Additionally, we conducted a session on the history of the Three Lions and ten roses, further deepening their understanding of our national heritage.”

On the pitch, Neil Ryan’s team shared a 1-1 draw with Belgium in their first game before narrowly losing by 2-1 in their second match.

Next up for the MU17s will be games against Northern Ireland, Slovenia and Israel in March, as they look to reach next summer’s UEFA U17 EURO Finals in Albania as well as qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar next year.