England U21s were visitors to Colchester's Florence Park training facility on Monday morning.
With their game against Lithuania at Ipswich's Portman Road on Tuesday (k/o 6pm), the U's were welcoming hosts to Gareth Southgate and his squad as they made their final preparations for their latest international fixture.
The squad were due to train in Ipswich but the facilities were waterlogged, so relocated to Colchester.
And members of the U21s squad were also at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Saturday as they took in the game against Walsall at the weekend.
It will be Southgate’s first visit to Ipswich as a manager but he has plenty of memories during his playing years: “I have mixed memories in terms of results there as a player. I don’t remember winning too many times at Portman Road,” the U21 boss told Ipswich Player.
“As someone who loves their football history, I grew up watching the likes of Frans Thijssen, Arnold Muhren, Alan Brazil and those guys of that era.
“Whenever I go back to grounds like Portman Road I always think back to those who have trod there in the past. I know Ipswich fans are knowledgeable supporters and like the game played in a certain style and we will be doing everything we can to play in that fashion.”
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| Relocated: The Young Three Lions train at Florence Park. Photo courtesy of Colchester United/David Gregory |
The squad were due to train in Ipswich but the facilities were waterlogged, so relocated to Colchester.
And members of the U21s squad were also at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Saturday as they took in the game against Walsall at the weekend.
It will be Southgate’s first visit to Ipswich as a manager but he has plenty of memories during his playing years: “I have mixed memories in terms of results there as a player. I don’t remember winning too many times at Portman Road,” the U21 boss told Ipswich Player.
“As someone who loves their football history, I grew up watching the likes of Frans Thijssen, Arnold Muhren, Alan Brazil and those guys of that era.
“Whenever I go back to grounds like Portman Road I always think back to those who have trod there in the past. I know Ipswich fans are knowledgeable supporters and like the game played in a certain style and we will be doing everything we can to play in that fashion.”