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17 May 2016
Duncan Watmore : "A great honour to play in Toulon for my country"
However following a telephone call from England’s Under 20 Head Coach Aidy Boothroyd in early May, he had to quickly revise those plans as he had not only earned himself his first-ever England call-up, but had also won himself a place in his country’s squad for the prestigious Toulon Tournament.
The call-up resulted in a busy few days for him, as he tried to ensure that he could travel to Toulon as well as complete his degree, as he recalls now nearly twelve months later.
“Getting called up was a nice surprise after a good season with the Sunderland U21s,” says Watmore, 22.
“I had exams in the week I was due to be at Toulon. Thankfully the FA and the university were both really good with me and we were able to find a compromise where I could do my exams a couple of weeks later after the tournament and I managed to sit a few before the tournament too.
“So thanks to the FA and the university I was able to make my debut for England in Toulon and also finish my degree in the same summer, so it was a win-win for me!”
The international call-up last summer was the latest in a long line of achievements for Watmore, who just two years previously was playing non-league football for Altrincham in England’s sixth tier.
He first earned his move to Sunderland following a prolific season at Altrincham, where he scored 14 goals in 37 league games as an eighteen year old, before getting his first taste of professional league football during a loan spell with Hibernian in Scotland.
He then spent a full season during 2014/15 with the Sunderland U21s, where his performances saw him named the Premier Under 21 League’s Player of the Year.
During the domestic season, Watmore faced foreign opposition thanks to Sunderland’s participation in the Premier League U21 International Cup, however at Toulon he now faced the prospect of playing international teams from Africa, Asia, Central America and North America. Looking back, he believes those experiences of coming up against players from different footballing cultures helped make him a better player.
He says: “When you are new to the England set-up you can’t really know too much about what to expect, so for me the main thing was to make sure I went out there and enjoyed it. You’re playing for your country and it is a great honour.
During the Toulon Tournament 2015, Watmore featured in all five of England’s games and scored two goals, including one on his debut against Morocco. He helped England achieve the runners-up spot in their group, which meant they faced a third-place play-off match against the United States. Unfortunately they suffered a 2-1 defeat, which meant they had to settle for fourth place.
However despite that disappointment, Watmore had the consolation of receiving personal recognition for his performances at the tournament, which saw him being awarded the Scout7 John Haynes Trophy, which is given to the tournament’s breakthrough player. The trophy was first awarded in 2008 and previous recipients include current Mexico senior international Jesus Corona, who is currently enjoying a strong season with FC Porto, and Malaga’s Portuguese winger Ricardo Horta.
Come 18th May, it will be fascinating to see if another Englishman can emulate Watmore and use the 44th edition of the tournament as a springboard to a major career breakthrough into the 2016/17 season and beyond.
Andy Cooper
Credits Photo : Magali Ruffato
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