Three Lions In Leicester As Switzerland Clash Looms
As both sides concluded their preparations on Monday, the world’s media gathered on Filbert Way to speak to Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate and Leicester City defender Harry Maguire.
It’s 15 years since England last played in front of a Leicester crowd as a side overseen by Sven-Göran Eriksson defeated Serbia & Montenegro in preparation for UEFA EURO 2004.
This England side, however, arrive at King Power Stadium after defying expectations to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Russia – an achievement which was aided by the indomitable presence of Maguire in defence, as well as his brilliant header against Sweden in the last-eight.
That fourth-placed finish matched the Three Lions' best-ever World Cup campaign on foreign soil and created a sense of national optimism that anyone under the age of 30 will seldom have experienced.
Naturally, the topic of playing in Leicester was a common theme in Monday’s press conference.
Southgate, an occasional spectator at King Power Stadium, had only positive things to say about the Club and reserved praise for Foxes manager Claude Puel for his development of young English talent.
“Leicester are a really well-run club,” the former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender told a packed media suite.
“You can see what they’re trying to do and you can see the investment in things like the training ground. Claude is a manager who has been brave here and also at Southampton.
Maguire: England On Filbert Way Will Be Special
Harry Maguire speaks to LCFC TV about England's fixture against Switzerland at King Power Stadium on Tuesday.
“There’s two parts to that: the manager being brave enough to do it and the Club for having the strategy in place. They’ve put a lot of time into their recruitment to sign players like Harry.
“When I was watching him last season, I knew he was able to excel. He’s a super defender, he’s really effective in both boxes and the way he commutes the ball is as good as anything in Europe in my opinion.
“I think he proved to himself as much as anything that he can compete with the very best.”
Southgate, who holds fond memories of playing in Leicester, says Tuesday’s game carries added intrigue because of the renowned King Power Stadium atmosphere.
“I always enjoyed coming here as a player,” the 48-year-old added.
“It’s a fantastic atmosphere and it’s always the same whether it’s been at Filbert Street or here. I know we’ll get a cracking atmosphere and we’re all really looking forward to it.
“It’s great that the people of Leicester and the surrounding areas will have a short journey to watch the national team. We represent the whole country so it’s right that we travel to stadiums around the country.”
Southgate’s decision to promote Ben Chilwell and Demarai Gray, meanwhile, has been greeted with pride in Leicester and the England boss says it is a reflection of their progress in a Foxes shirt.
On Chilwell, the first Academy product since Emile Heskey to be named in a senior England squad, Southgate said: “He’s having a really good season and he ended last season well too.
“He trained with us this morning and he was very impressive. It’s a good moment for Ben, who’s a very good athlete and a player who we are constantly monitoring.”
Gray, meanwhile, is another City star who has been a regular for England’s Under-21s since his debut in 2016 – and Southgate says he has taken great satisfaction in watching his development.
The Three Lions boss, who coached Gray in the Under-21s set-up, continued: “It’s all about learning and improving for young players and Demarai is an example of that.
“He started at a young age at Birmingham and he played a lot of games for them in the Football League, but he’s also established himself in the first team here this season as well.”
For Maguire, the 15 months which followed his move to City in July 2017 have been transformational.
Playing every minute of every game in the Premier League - a record which remains intact today - is a commendable feat while his exploits in Russia elevated his standing in the game to new levels.
The prospect of representing his country at a venue he now calls home is one which Maguire is determined to savour.
With the added subplot of potentially lining up alongside two Foxes team-mates, the 25-year-old made no effort to hide his sense of pride and admiration for Chilwell and Gray.
“They’re both top players, top talents,” Maguire said. “They’ve been with the Under-21s for a long time so their call-ups put a big smile on my face.
“We’ve got a good squad at Leicester, lots of young English talent, so the future is exciting.
“The atmosphere is always great here as well. It’s electric. We had a really good time when we went to Leeds before the World Cup and I’m sure it’ll be great here under the lights as well.”
Following the press conference’s conclusion, Vladimir Petković, the Switzerland head coach, took Southgate’s seat in the media suite for a short media briefing of his own.
The Swiss then took to the field at King Power Stadium for an evening training session, intended to help them acclimatise to their new surroundings.
Their 6-0 UEFA Nations League victory over Iceland in the north east town of St. Gallen, on the other hand, outlines how tough Tuesday's fixture could be for England.
Tickets remain available for the clash and can be purchased via TheFA.com/Tickets.