Town legend Jason Dozzell says watching his son Andre help the England U19s to win the European Championships is one of the proudest days of his life.
Dozzell senior, 49, was in Gori, Georgia for this evening's final against Portugal which ended 2-1 to the Young Lions with his 18-year-old son playing the first 77 minutes.
"I’m a very proud dad, it's one of the proudest days of my life, seeing him out there for England winning an U19 tournament. It’s massive, I never got close!,” Jason, now a coach with the Town academy, told TWTD.
"I was at the game. I’m really pleased, he’s just come out with a medal around his neck so I’ve just got loads of pictures of him. Really good, really good!”
Having not previously been capped at U19 level before the competition Andre started the three group games but was an unused sub in the 1-0 semi-final defeat of the Czech Republic due to a hip injury he had suffered early on in the 4-1 victory over Germany, although Jason says he would have been fit enough to play had he been required.
"He was on the bench and if they’d needed him he would have come on,” he said. "He was feeling it in the second half tonight, so he came off, he’d had an injection.”
Nine-times-capped England U21 international Jason was pleased with his son’s performances throughout the tournament.
"I’m delighted with him, they said for the first two games he was their best player, he just told me that, and he’s had a decent game tonight,” he added.
"He’ll go back to Ipswich full of confidence now, go back there and hopefully start as he finished here.
"I’ve really enjoyed watching him out here. It can’t do him any harm, going back to Ipswich with a win like this behind him and a little spring in his step. I’m looking forward to it.”
Jason says he’s not yet sure when former Copleston High School pupil Andre, who has so far made eight starts and three sub appearances for Town, scoring his only goal on his debut at Sheffield Wednesday in April 2016, will get back to action with the Blues.
"We’ve got to speak to the club because we don’t want to burn him out,” he continued. "On the other hand he needs to get back into it to get back in the team. We’ll have to see what’s best for him.”
Andre operated in a deeper-lying midfield position for the England U19s than he has for the senior side at Town, which his father says has been his more regular role as he has progressed through the academy. However, he can understand why he has been utilised in more advanced areas by Mick McCarthy up to now.
"He’s always been a ‘number four’, but I can see where Mick is coming from in the Championship, football in the Championship is a little bit different,” he reflected.
"I want him to be really good with the ball mainly and he’s obviously got to [improve on] the defensive side, which he will do because he’s getting stronger all the time, and then try and get into the team and cement that place.
"He should be going back there with a little spring in his step and we’ll have to see what happens.”