Ben Chilwell hopes next summer’s European Championship will prove third time lucky, having had to sit on his hands during the last edition before missing the World Cup through injury.
Gareth Southgate is not blessed with options at left-back, but a mixture of misfortune and injury has restricted the 26-year-old to just 18 caps since making his debut in 2018.
That frustration means Chilwell, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, is still waiting to make his first appearance at a major international tournament.
Chilwell went to the rearranged Euros two years ago, but – as well as having to self-isolate due to coronavirus regulations – was overlooked in favour of Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw.
The pair were the left-back options again 18 months later in Qatar as a hamstring injury ruled out the Chelsea full-back, who is hoping to catch a break at Euro 2024.
“I missed the World Cup, but I was at the Euros and didn’t play,” Chilwell told talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 live.
“Of course, Germany in the summer is something I am really looking forward to.
“I am hoping to have a great season with Chelsea and England, that will put me in good stead, and I can hopefully go out to Germany and do well.”
It has long been a case of when rather than if England’s place at Euro 2024 is rubberstamped, with their qualification campaign continuing against Ukraine in Poland this Saturday.
Chilwell said “third time lucky would be nice” as he looked ahead to next summer’s finals in Germany and few would back against him fulfilling that goal given his ability to dig deep and overcome disappointment.
View this post on Instagram“I think you have to be strong mentally to come through a lot of stuff that I’ve gone through and a lot of stuff that a lot of footballers go through,” the left-back, who does not have injured Shaw to compete with this month, said.
“You don’t get to become a professional football player without having ups and downs, and it is a cliche but it really is about how you deal with them.
“I love playing football, so that’s what I always come back to when I when I’m going through the tough times.”
Chilwell is not alone in dealing with frustrating periods on the sidelines for Chelsea and England, with right-back Reece James laid low again right now with a hamstring complaint.
“Everyone talks about how strong we are as a team at Chelsea when me and Reece play together,” said the 26-year-old, who is captaining the Blues in James’ absence. “Of course, we want to play more together. We’re trying!
“Hopefully Reece can be back in the next few weeks and I am feeling good physically so hopefully, when Reece is back, push on and do well for the rest of the season.”
The hope at Chelsea is that Mauricio Pochettino will bring improved robustness and fitness to the group on top of on-field improvements.
Chilwell says the new head coach’s pre-season regime was as gruelling as people say, but it has left him feeling the “best I’ve felt physically in a long time”.
“The manager was constant in telling us that this is only for our benefit,” he said.
“It’s going to make our bodies more robust, we’re going to be able to play more games this season, less injuries.
“So we all completely bought into it and so far, personally, I’m feeling like that is the case and, like I said, feeling the best I felt physically in a long time.
“Hopefully I can stay injury-free for the season and then going into the summer as well.”
Chilwell is confident that with a little patience Chelsea “will come good” under Pochettino as the former Argentina international looks to shape a large squad full of new faces and promise into a coherent, effective unit.
Among the ex-Tottenham manager’s tactical tweaks in the opening weeks of the season has been a new advanced role for the 26-year-old.
“It’s not even been wing-back, it’s been on the wing,” Chilwell said. “Over the past few years, I’ve gone from left-back to left wing-back to left wing… playing striker in a few years!
View this post on Instagram“It’s something new (but) something that isn’t completely new to me, to be honest.
“When I’ve been playing left wing-back, they’re kind of similar positions that I get in occasionally that I’ve found myself in this season.
“I’m playing up there and the expectation when you’re playing in a front three is to, of course, score goals and get assists.
“That’s something that hopefully I can build on in the next few weeks and decision-making, when to shoot, when to pass.
“Of course, I’d like to have contributed with a few more so far this season but, like I said, I’m working hard to put that right.”
New Man Utd boss Amorim says he must win to be afforded time
New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said he will need to win matches in order to earn time and create his own identity at the club.
The Portuguese tactician, who left Sporting CP to become Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford, was speaking during his first interview with the Premier League club.
"We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity," the 39-year-old said.
"Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details.
"You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity."
Amorim is the seventh different manager to take charge of the club since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and will face a trip to Ipswich Town in the league on 24 November on his United debut.
But the former Portugal international added that having a young squad will not be an excuse if he fails to get the desired results in the short term.
"I don't want to say that we need time because we are a young team. They are prepared. They are prepared to cope with the demands of playing for United. They should be because they are here," Amorim said.
"We know it will take time, but we have to start since day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this. They will start on the first day with our idea, no matter what. That's the goal."
New Manchester United boss Amorim says he needs to win to be afforded time
New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that he will need to win matches in order to win time and create his own identity at the club.
The Portuguese tactician, who left Sporting CP to become Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford, was speaking during his first interview with the Premier League club.
"We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity," the 39-year-old said.
"Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details."
"You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity," he said.
Amorim is the seventh different manager to take charge of the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and will face a trip to Ipswich Town in the league on 24 November on his United managerial debut.
But the former Portugal international also added that having a young squad will not be an excuse for not getting the desired results in the short term.
"I don't want to say that we need time because we are a young team. They are prepared. They are prepared to cope with the demands of playing for United. They should be because they are here," Amorim said.
"We know it will take time, but we have to start since day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this. They will start on the first day with our idea, no matter what. That's the goal."
Van Nistelrooy wishes Man Utd success under Amorim
Ruud van Nistelrooy says Manchester United deserve to be successful under new head coach Ruben Amorim, having left the club after the Portuguese's arrival this week.
Amorim officially left Sporting CP for United on Monday, with Van Nistelrooy having overseen four matches as interim coach after Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.
United won three and drew one of those matches, beating Leicester City twice and overcoming PAOK in the Europa League while drawing 1-1 with Chelsea in the Premier League.
At 39 years old, new boss Amorim will become the youngest man to lead United since a 33-year-old Wilf McGuinness took charge of them on Boxing Day 1970 against Derby County.
Van Nistelrooy, who had initially hoped to stay on in a backroom role under Amorim but departed earlier this week, is backing the Red Devils to be successful.
In a farewell post on Instagram, the former striker wrote: "To everyone at Manchester United football club, in particular the backroom staff, the players and the fans.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible efforts and support. It has been a privilege and honour to represent the club as a player, coach and manager, and I will always cherish the memories we have shared together.
"M.U.F.C will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope there are many more glory days at Old Trafford very soon - not only because I want the club to do well, but because you all deserve it!"
Amorim's first assignment as United boss will be a Premier League trip to Ipswich Town next week, before Bodo/Glimt visit Old Trafford in the Europa League on November 28.
Between his March 2020 appointment and his departure this month, Sporting won 77% of their Primeira Liga matches, the best win ratio in Europe's top 10 leagues in that span.
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