Arsenal defender Rob Holding says he’s relaxed ahead of the U21 European Championships with England in Poland.
- Holding discusses upcoming Euros in Poland
- He believes the squad’s Premier League experience could help them go far
- There’s a lot of pressure in the U21s to succeed after the U20 side won the World Cup
The centre-back has no trouble relaxing before a big game and believes that his experience in the Arsenal first-team will help him prepare for international football.
“I sleep like a baby the night before matches,” he said to the Daily Mail. “I’ve never had any problems, even with that final.”
“I’m sure my experiences with Arsenal will help me massively and I will be ready for anything that comes up at these Euros. I’ve had a taste of it.”
“Playing in the Champions League was a big one for me — standing there listening to the anthem and walking out the tunnel with all the fireworks going off is crazy.”
“But then once the game starts it goes to the back of your mind, you are concentrating on where you need to be and what you need to do. I can bring that momentum from my club to the England camp.”
Holding has just two caps for the U21 side and his form for Arsenal could mean he’ll be thrust straight into the starting eleven, either in a back four or a back three. Wherever he players, Holding is confident he can do well.
“I enjoy playing in a back-three. It gives you a bit more freedom on the ball but I think it depends on what players you have in your squad.”
“We have very talented players in this England squad, the Chelsea lads, and Demarai Gray is a talented player, so we could adapt to any formation.”
There is a lot of pressure on the U21 side to do well after failures in the previous two tournaments saw them eliminated in the group stages. With the U20 team winning the World Cup, there’ll be an even sharper focus on the U21 team.
Holding, though, has handled pressure brilliantly this season so let’s hope he has a successful tournament.