Angel Gomes on England style and Lee Carsley as manager
04/09/2024
St george's Park, `Burton, `uk
04/09/2024
St george's Park, `Burton, `uk
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Okay, good afternoon and welcome to St George's Park for this media conference with Angel
00:10Gomez.
00:11As ever, housekeeping, if we can keep it to three questions per person in the first round,
00:14if we have got time we'll come back, and at the end we'll have a short section unbargered
00:18until 10.30pm this evening.
00:19Rob, Swiss Sports News, do you want to get us underway?
00:22Angel, lovely to see you.
00:23You too.
00:24Congratulations.
00:26Look, we've seen the FA's clip of you talking to Morgan Gibbs-White about how you FaceTimed
00:34each other when you got the call up and how neither of you quite knew.
00:37Talk us through that and how special was the moment?
00:40We both got told on the day that the squad was getting announced, on the first day, but
00:46we didn't get a call until a bit later on in the, well not later on in the day, but
00:51before the squad got announced, so you have no idea whether you're going to get selected
00:56or not.
00:57I got a message off Lee and he asked me to call him and I was like, oh.
01:06Lee asked you to call Morgan?
01:07No, he asked me to call, the manager asked me to call him.
01:11So I rang him and yeah, he let me know that I was in the squad and you can obviously imagine
01:17my reaction and the first thing I was thinking is, I wonder if Morgan's been called because
01:23obviously we're very close and I didn't want to ring him because I didn't know whether
01:28he'd found out or not and he didn't want to ring me after.
01:32So there was a bit of tension and then my dad was like, just ring him.
01:37So I rang him and when he answered, we just both like looked at each other and like started
01:44smiling before anyone said anything, I was like, no, and he was like, yeah.
01:50And then we just started like jumping up and down in the room and yeah, you could obviously,
01:54we were just buzzing.
01:55It's lovely to share that with somebody you're so close to, isn't it, that you both got first
01:59call up at the same time.
02:00Yeah, and it's something that we've spoke about for, in the longest, obviously we've
02:05played each other growing up in the age groups, we won the World Cup together and this last
02:11tournament, the Euros, was very special for us because in our case, it was the last time
02:17we'd play with each other unless we'd get called up to the senior.
02:20So in our heads, it was like, we have to win this and end it on as high as possible, like
02:26playing with each other.
02:27And we managed to do that and obviously managed to get called up at the same time, which is
02:32special.
02:33Good stuff.
02:34And Lee Carsley described you as a unique player.
02:39How would you describe what your best position is and what sort of type of player you are?
02:43Because I think you are a bit different.
02:47I'd like to say I'm just a midfielder, you know, I can operate in all three roles.
02:51I can play as the deep line midfielder, I can play as a number eight, I can play as
02:55a number 10, you know.
02:58I just love to play in the midfield and be able to distribute and help the team play
03:04in all different areas of the pitch, you know.
03:09I'd say I'm confident, I like being on the ball and I like taking responsibility.
03:13So that's more or less my game.
03:16And I want to ask you about the journey as well.
03:18When you left Manchester United and go to Lille, it's always difficult to leave a club
03:23like Manchester United.
03:24And then you ended up on loan at Boa Vista, so it didn't happen immediately for you.
03:28It's not been an easy route for you, has it?
03:30And I wonder how you reflect on all of that now, sitting in that seat where you are now.
03:36When I left, it was more for the idea to better myself, better myself as a player and
03:42obviously as a person going through the journey that I went through.
03:47I knew that eventually I'd be able to create a pathway for myself to be able to be in this
03:51position that I'm in now.
03:55And yeah, it was difficult, obviously, leaving the club that I was at from six and heading
04:02into the unknown, really, for me personally.
04:06And yeah, from then, it's been an uphill trajectory, but also with a lot of difficulties and difficult
04:16moments going through, but being in this position now makes everything all worth it.
04:25Hi, Angel.
04:26Lee Carsley said that you're a player that controls games with your technique.
04:31Do you think your game is suited to international football?
04:34And do you think the game in England has changed since you left?
04:39Yeah, I'd say so.
04:42I think it's a lot different to club football, international football, and I think with the
04:51players that this country produces, we've always been close and it shows the level of
04:59the team and where we're at as a nation.
05:04And it's something that I think going forward, we have a lot of new players, not just myself,
05:16I've had call-ups as well, so it's positive, I think.
05:20You were previously mentioned by Gareth Selfgate, and I know you said you thought you'd create
05:25a path yourself to get to this position, but did you think you were close before this call-up?
05:29Yeah, believe it or not, I was pre-selected in the group of a lot of players, and whenever
05:39the squad was getting announced, I'd get the email, but obviously you get told whether
05:46you'll get a phone call or you'll know whether you're in the squad or not, and I missed it
05:51a lot of the times, but I knew that if I keep going, sooner or later I'll be able to create
05:56a pathway for myself, and I'm just thankful that I'm here now and I'm able to showcase myself.
06:05Was that pre-selected for the Euros?
06:08Well, I got the email, so you get a confirmation that if anything was to happen, you're in
06:15the plans and stuff, but I just didn't quite make the group, but it's always fuel to keep
06:21going and to keep trying to get into the next selections.
06:25And last summer when you won the Euros, Lee Carty said you're a player he thinks will
06:29go on to be a coach, because of the way you see the game and you see it in pictures.
06:34Do you think you'll go on to be a coach further down the line?
06:37Probably, yeah. I can't actually hide that, yeah, probably. I like that side of the game.
06:47I think I'm a big thinker and I think it's something that I'll probably go on to do when
06:54I finish playing, but it's not something that I'm thinking of right now, but yeah, probably, yeah.
07:00Thanks.
07:02Hi, Joel. What's this camp been like since you joined up here?
07:07For me, it's been really positive, really. I've settled in well. There's players that
07:14I already knew previously and some new faces that I've got to know over the last couple
07:20of days that have helped me settle in perfectly. No, I think it's exciting and I'm just looking
07:28forward to the rest of the week.
07:31What did Lee and the coaches say to you guys when you all joined up?
07:35Nothing really, just in the sense of, with the squad, obviously, previously before I
07:46joined, representing the country in the best way possible. It's shown in the previous tournaments
07:56how close England have been as a nation and we're kind of going off the back of that and
08:02trying to emulate and make the next step in winning the tournament and that's what is
08:08here, trying to impose and set targets for the team.
08:13Finally, having played with Lee for a long time for the 21s, can you just describe a
08:17bit what he's like as a coach?
08:20He's a very fair coach, he's very honest, he's direct in his approach and he's very
08:30close to the squad and I think it helps as a player when a coach takes interest in a
08:38player, not just on the pitch but off the pitch also.
08:42Hi Angel, with the first England call-up, how hungry has it made you to make sure it
08:55isn't just a one-time thing?
08:57Yeah, that's in the back of my head, that was in the back of my head coming here obviously.
09:03You want to play for your country as much as possible, this has been special for me
09:09the last couple of days and it's something that I'd love for it to continue in the
09:16long run.
09:22Hi Angel, nice to see you, congratulations as well.
09:25You mentioned the under-17s, you captained that team, obviously Mark Gahee, Phil Foden,
09:33Jadon Sancho in it and you've seen them progress into the senior team.
09:38Did you feel as if maybe you'd have to wait this long for a senior call-up?
09:42Does it make it that more special?
09:44I think playing for your country, you can wait as long as it takes really.
09:49The moment you're able to represent your country at the highest level, that's the
09:55highest moment you can get to personally in your career.
10:00I've seen everyone do it early but it didn't discourage me, if anything.
10:04It made me hungrier and seeing teammates that you've played with from 2015-16 go on
10:11to almost live your dream, you can't be any happier for them.
10:19Whether it would have took me an extra three years, four years or however long it takes,
10:23I'm just happy that I'm in the position that I'm in now and I hope that it can
10:28continue for more years.
10:29You obviously know a lot of the players but was there anyone in the senior squad
10:34already that you didn't know that you've maybe sought out to try and get some
10:38advice from?
10:39Yes, obviously the skipper, Harry and there's a few others that obviously the
10:48experienced ones that have been in the group a long time that you can go to and
10:56ask questions or ask for advice and everyone's been welcoming so people will
11:02come to you to see how you are and almost make you feel assured so it's been good.
11:09Who else, can you elaborate a bit more?
11:12Pickers as well, there's John Stones, there's Declan Rice, there's a few others,
11:23I can't name them all but they've all made me feel welcomed and it's been good
11:28for me to be around players like that that have all the experience to help me.
11:37You mentioned some difficult moments in your career, I wonder if you can tell us
11:41a little bit more about that and also what was the best piece of advice that
11:46Lee Carsley has given you on your journey?
11:49I'd say the hardest point was obviously leaving England, going to Portugal into
11:54the unknown, there was a project there for me to immerse myself into but I never knew
12:01how it was going to go, it was stepping into the unknown for me and then obviously
12:06going to France afterwards so learning a new language, adapting to the country,
12:13adapting to the football, it was a very difficult time for me to adapt to all of it
12:19and I knew in the long run if I stuck to it that I'd be able to get to where
12:26I want to get to.
12:30And Lee, one of the things he always says is you're giving yourself the best chance
12:36if you're doing well at your club and it links in, coincides with the national team
12:43so as long as you're doing well for your club and you're representing yourself
12:48at a high level, you've got the best chance to play for your national team.
12:55Just on your development at Lille, can you pick out a few moments during the years
13:02that you've been there now that have really catapulted you in the right direction?
13:09I think ever since our last manager that's just gone to AC Milan, Paolo Fonseca, came in
13:21we had a conversation and he pulled me aside and said he wants me to play a bit deeper
13:28and showed me how he wants the team to play and said that I'd be a major part of what he wants to do
13:34and said that I'd be able to help the team with the ideas and to assure the team.
13:42It wasn't something that I've not done before or a position that I've not played,
13:46I've played in that position before but obviously to play at the highest level in that position
13:51it takes a good coach, good ideas for you to be able to show and prove yourself
13:58and I think from when he came in you could see how the team played and how it complimented me well
14:06so I think from there it really helped me.
14:10Did that dovetail with what Lee Carsley was asking you to do with the under-21s?
14:16Yes, because at the club level I was almost doing a similar role to what I was doing in the national team
14:25but obviously playing in France you don't have as much awareness or recognition
14:36that of course the Premier League is going to get which is normal
14:40but I was already playing that position and played the whole season playing there
14:48so when I came to the national team it was very similar and very easy.
14:53With Lee Carsley is there anything that marks him out as being dramatically different
14:59from other coaches that you've worked with?
15:03Just in the sense of he's very easy to speak to.
15:09He'll ask you what you think of training session, the game
15:15or he'll pull you aside and say I've got this planned out, what do you think
15:20and it's not just him asking the question, he wants to really know your input
15:25and he will listen and he will listen to a lot of the other players
15:30and I think when a manager puts that ownership and that confidence in you
15:38you repay it on the pitch and I think he's really good at doing that.
15:51Hi Angel, if Lee Carsley is a fan of you that would suggest he's a fan of a certain style of football
15:58what kind of football can England fans expect to see in this new era?
16:06Similar really, as you know the country's got a huge pool of talent
16:15and it's just trying to get all the ideas and the right system in place
16:21for it to be able to gel and for it to work out for the type of players that we have really.
16:29It's very attacking but also with a huge emphasis on defending also
16:37and having a good unit and I think that showed in the Euros
16:43in all the games we played and we didn't concede
16:46and for as well as how we played offensively, defensively we had the unit
16:54and we had a good block so I can just say positive really.
17:00I wonder when you were watching this England team at the Euros, the senior team
17:05given the sort of quality that was in that team and players who didn't even get to play that much
17:11could you see where you would fit into that team?
17:15Yeah, I'd like to say so yeah, I could see where I could fit in.
17:20Obviously it's really difficult to play for England, it's really difficult
17:26like I said with the amount of talent and the amount of players that are playing at a high level consistently.
17:31You've got to be on top of your game and you've got to be consistent
17:37and watching the games you can always put yourself in situations
17:42or situations where you think you can help.
17:46I think as a player there'll be players that didn't get called up to go
17:51so that would tell you the same thing.