Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale insists England won’t let standards slip as Germany stand between the Young Lions and a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA U19 European Championship.
Keith Downing’s side sit top of Group B with two wins from two and know that they’ll be guaranteed a place in the last four of the competition by bettering a 2-0 defeat to Die Mannschaft at the David Petriashvili Stadium in Tbilisi on Sunday.
So a third consecutive clean sheet out for AFC Bournemouth’s Ramsdale would simply be enough to progress into week two here in Georgia.
However, England’s men’s development teams haven’t lost a single game in normal or extra time at tournaments this summer – a run stretching 24 games – and the U19s won’t want to be the blot on that exceptional record.
“We all set targets as a group and one of those was to keep a clean sheet in every game so we’re on course for that, “ said the Staffordshire-born shot-stopper.
“The lads in front of me have been fantastic, especially against the Netherlands when they nullified every attack they had. We just need to keep that going.
“We can’t rest on our laurels because ultimately Germany need to win and we want to win.
“We’ve got the upper hand with six points compared to their three so we have all the momentum going into the game.
“It’s important that we stick to our game plan. We’ve started bright in both games and we have to stamp our mark on Germany straight away and control the game.”
Ramsdale chalked up his ninth U19s cap in Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands having previously played twice for the U18s group.
This is the Sheffield United academy graduate’s first taste of an international tournament.
“It’s been an eye-opener,” he admitted. “You watch tournaments on TV and only see one game every three days but now when you’re living in it then there’s so much more you have to think about.
“Having to sleep and eat right to recover, you can’t be having late nights because that ultimately effects the football. At this stage in the competition, you can’t let that effect you.”
The social media-savvy Ramsdale took over the England Snapchat account on Friday and showcased a typical recovery day for the squad including a trip to a mall in the Tbilisi Sea City area.
“Getting out and about is massively important. You spent a lot of time with each other either in meeting rooms, in the dining room or on the football field so it’s nice to get out of the hotel.
“We have a virtual golf simulator and a nearby mall. It’s important to switch your brain off from football because when you’re away for two and a half weeks, it can be very draining.”
