9:22am Tuesday 7th September 2010
By Jonathan Waldron
Stuart Pearce reckons playing in Colchester will be perfect for his England youngsters.Under-21 coach Pearce leads the Three Lions into battle this afternoon against Lithuania, in a crucial European Championship qualifier at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
A crowd of more than 7,000 is expected for today’s game, which kicks off at 4pm so as not to clash with England’s senior European Championship qualifier in Switzerland, following a new Uefa directive.
And while Pearce admitted the start time was not ideal, he feels the Community Stadium will provide the perfect surroundings for his young players.
Pearce told the Gazette: “We’re pleased to be here.
“Everywhere we’ve been in the country, there’s been great support.
“We’ve sold stadiums out and this one will be a little bit difficult because of the kick-off time.
“That is obviously dictated by Uefa but the pitch is in great nick and the stadium size is perfect for us.
“We’ve thrown an invite out to anyone in the Forces and it would be nice for them to come down.”
For a full preview of this afternoon's England under-21 international at the Community Stadium, see today's Gazette.
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