Montenegro vs England: Kyle Walker gives team talk on how to handle fan hostility

The full-back was called up for the side’s last game in Podgorica, a 2-2 draw in 2011 that saw projectiles thrown and a targeting of Wayne Rooney that infamously resulted in the then captain getting sent off

Miguel Delaney
Podgorica
Sunday 24 March 2019 21:40 GMT
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Kyle Walker gave the England squad a talk on how to handle the intensity of Montenegro’s hostile 15,000-seater stadium, as the only player to have appeared at the ground before.

The full-back was called up for the side’s last game in Podgorica, a 2-2 draw in 2011 that saw projectiles thrown and a targeting of Wayne Rooney that infamously resulted in the then captain getting sent off and suspended for the start of Euro 2012.

Southgate had earlier said that he likes seeing how young players respond to such situations, but England have been well prepared, with Walker detailing his experience as part of that.

“Kyle is the only player to have played in the fixture, so he spoke a bit in the meeting yesterday about the experience to help the players prepare for what's coming so it's not a surprise,” Southgate said. “I expect all the players, even the younger ones, to show leadership in their own way. But to have the older ones setting the example in those tense moments.

“It's really intense. A passionate local support. That's often the way travelling in Europe, playing qualifying ties. It's a really good experience of the younger players to go through and see how they come through it.”

Southgate said the circumstances are all the more important because one of the things he has been seeking to improve with England is discipline, pointing to how often that has cost the country at tournaments.

“It's something we've talked about a lot,” Southgate revealed. “Tournaments is another classic. Our undoing has often been a lack of discipline in matches. That's expected of this group now. They have to respond in the right way, stay calm in moments. A lot of times, going down to 10 men affects the result of games. We have to make sure we don't allow them that opportunity.”

Jordan Henderson meanwhile feels England are now too focused a team to let any hostile atmosphere affect them.

“You don't think about it, to be honest. You're concentrating on the game, in the zone of playing football. The crowd is irrelevant. We're there to put on a performance, get three points. The mentality is to focused on playing football. It's part and parcel of being a professional footballer.

"It might not be like that tomorrow – it might be – but we have to be prepared for anything. As we've seen in the English leagues recently, it happens everywhere. The way [Jack] Grealish handled that situation [at Birmingham City with Aston Villa] was brilliant.”

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