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Dozzell: We're Here to Win the Tournament - Ipswich Town News

Town midfielder Andre Dozzell says he and his England U17s team-mates - who include fellow Blues Ben Morris and Nick Hayes - are at the European Championships in Azerbaijan to win the competition.

The Young Lions lost 2-1 to Sweden in their opening game on Friday but beat France 2-0 in last night’s second match with Dozzell creating the first goal for striker Morris and then threading through the ball which led to the penalty from which Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson scored the second. Keeper Hayes, who joined up with the squad at the weekend, was an unused sub.

The England youngsters currently sit in third place a point behind group leaders Denmark, who they face in their final group game on Thursday. Sweden are in second on the same points as a result of their win in the opening match.

"It’s a big tournament and we’ve come here to win it, not go home on the plane after the group stage," Dozzell told TheFA.com.

"We knew what we had to do after the game against Sweden and we’ve done it so everyone is happy. We just need to take it into the next game now against Denmark and win that one too."

If Dozzell, Morris and Hayes do help England to carry off the trophy they will follow in the footsteps of ex-Blue Connor Wickham, who scored the goal which won the England U17s the European Championships for the first time in 2010 in Liechtenstein. England subsequently won again in 2014.

"I know England have a good history in this competition as well and we want to continue that," added Dozzell, who signed a two-year pro deal with the Blues at the start of last week having turned 17.

"A couple of years back we actually won it and that was a great experience for those boys. But the senior England players have been here at this level before as well.

"People like Wayne Rooney, James Milner and Jack Butland have all taken part in this tournament so the experience here is definitely a valuable one for me and the rest of my team-mates."

Dozzell says his father Jason can offer him the benefit of his experience and will be making the trip to Azerbaijan for the latter stages of the competition if England make it.

"He’s been there and done it and he can give me advice like how to be around a competition like this and how to be in the matches - so a little advice like that can obviously help me.

"Hopefully I’ll see him out here when he comes out for the semi-finals!"

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