‘There’s always someone watching’ – Samuel Iling-Junior out to gatecrash England’s World Cup squad by starring for U21s
SAMUEL ILING-JUNIOR hopes a successful European Championship can springboard him into Aston Villa’s first-team – and World Cup contention.
The versatile wing-back, 21, arrived at Villa Park from Juventus last summer as part of the deal that took Douglas Luiz in the opposite direction.
However, he stayed put in Italy to spend the first half of the campaign on loan at Bologna in Serie A and even scored for them in the Champions League.
Weeks later Iling-Junior, who originally left Chelsea for Juve in 2020, was back in England and heading to Middlesbrough.
And it was while playing for the Championship club that he decided he wants his future to be at left-back.
Iling-Junior, who is battling with Tino Livramento to start there for England U21s in Thursday’s Euros opening against Czech Republic, said: “I definitely settled into the left-back role and going up and down the pitch [at Boro]. I enjoyed that, bringing my parts into the team with assists, tricks and being creative.
“It’s an honour to be one of the players that the manager has chosen and I want to repay that on the pitch.
“Tino has obviously had that great season with Newcastle. The competition is always healthy. If I can bring out the best of him and he brings out the best of me and we go and win the tournament then it’s happy days.”
Iling-Junior has represented England at every level bar the seniors and has seen several of his team-mates graduate into the Three Lions first-team.
And he knows this month’s tournament in Slovakia could lead to a huge season ahead for him at both club and international level as he revealed his ambitions for the coming 12 months.
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He said: “You have to put the World Cup in your sights and knock on that door or at least put myself in a position to be knocking on that door.
“There’s a pathway and there’s always someone watching. All the boys that have made their debut from the U21s and are now in that squad, that just goes to show that if you keep putting your mind to it and work with the coaches then you’ll get repaid for your hard work.
“And definitely get back into Villa after this tournament and have some conversations and make an impact there as well.
“Unai Emery has always had conversations with me, so that helps. and he’s kept track of my loans. So that’s definitely a good relationship and once we get back after the tournament then we’ll have those conversations.
“But, for now, it’s definitely just focusing on the Euros and we’ll see when I get back to Villa.”
Iling-Junior has already tasted Euro joy with England at U19 level and was part of the Juventus side alongside the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Adrien Rabiot that beat Atalanta to lift the Coppa Italia last season.
He added: “Winning the Coppa Italia, winning a trophy, is one of the best feelings I’ve had.
“Juventus is a big, big club and I learned what winning actually meant there, and not just winning, dominating and that’s a really nice feeling knowing that you’re part of history.
“I enjoyed the pressure there. That gave me motivation each game to go out with a bit of pressure and do what I enjoy. Winning the Euros would definitely be up there with that.”
England kick off their Euro campaign against the Czech Republic on Thursday.
They then face Slovenia three days later and finish the group stage against Germany on Wednesday 18 June with all of the Young Lions’ matches being broadcast on Channel 4.