QPR starlet Alfie Tuck has revealed that Wales will be approaching the 2023 UEFA U17 European Championships “one game at a time.”
Cymru have been drawn in Group A alongside the Republic of Ireland, Poland and the competition’s hosts Hungary, as they embark on their first men’s youth international tournament since 1981.
“It’s always a proud achievement to be called up for such a big occasion,” Tuck told Y Clwb Pel-Droed. “This is a very big tournament and one we’ve worked well towards.
“We are all very proud and privileged to be here. We are all ready to get onto the pitch and start working towards the first game.
“Our aim is to take each game one at a time, and I think we will do that well. We will focus leading up to the games, which will hopefully give us the best chance of getting into the top two.”
Wales navigated the lengthy qualification phase without tasting a single defeat. Two further friendlies without defeat against Israel in February see them head into this month’s tournament in the midst of an eight-game unbeaten run.
They kick off their campaign on Wednesday 17th May in a tough test against Hungary at the Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium, but this squad are no strangers to facing a host nation having beaten Croatia 2-0 in Poreč during the first stage of qualifying back in October.
“It’s always important to say play the game and not the occasion,” the 17-year-old midfielder added. “So even though they [Hungary] are the hosts, we are going there to play football our way and hopefully, the result will reflect that.
“We understand that every team is going to be good in their own way. All we can do is focus on the things that we can control and we can take that forward.”
Tuck is one of the 20 players from the Elite Round phase that have made Knight’s 22-man squad for the tournament.
Togetherness is a trait that seems to underpin every Wales squad, from the senior team down to the youth teams. In an interview on RedWall+ the Cymru boss noted that this squad is no different.
“This group is more than the 22 players that have made the squad, it goes to the 32 or 35 that are part of the wider group. They are really tight and they enjoy each other’s company. The players back each other and they have a real go.”
Cymru relied on that unity during their final Elite Round game against Montenegro, when they fought back to draw 2-2 and top their group.
Tuck, who was born in London and qualifies to play for Cymru through his maternal grandfather, echoes his coach’s statement and has praised Knight for his role in helping foster a close-knit group.
“He’s had such a positive impact on myself and the other lads in the team. He’s built a real togetherness in the group. We take that onto the pitch, and we show it.
“[Football] is a game of 90 minutes. There will be ups and downs, but I think that the togetherness that we show as a team will help us to get the results we need. We’ve seen it in different games if we go back to the qualifiers.
“We have good chemistry with each other, and we all understand each other. We have played together for a while now and I think when you’re on the pitch you just understand that tactical sense and technically it will all come together.”
(Featured Image: Nik Mesney/John Smith)
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