It’s international football, but not as you know it — the England C national football team represents the country at non-league level and are back for the first time in three years this month.
The team, managed by former Barnet boss Paul Fairclough, is made up of the best talents from the National League and below. It’s been three years, though, since England C last got together with the Covid-19 pandemic wiping out their fixture list. All that is set to change later this month, however, as they head over the border to face Wales C on March 30.
The squad will be vastly different from when England C last played, a 2-0 defeat away to Estonia U23s in June 2019. Many of those in action that day have since gone on to move into the Football League, rendering them now ineligible for selection. But regardless, England C goalkeeping coach Mick Payne is looking forward to working with non-league’s best and brightest once again.
