Not surprised he performed well - I'm sure he will be an England regular now he is playing for Arsenal. As for Steve Claridge I think he talks a lot of sense and gives Saints credit when it is due.
As I've already said on here (on a thread that you created as it happens! http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/80409-Chamberlain-u21-call-up), you have to be 21 or under at the start of a 2 year qualifying cycle to be eligible to play at any point during the cycle. So come the full championships at the end of each 2 cycle, you will almost certainly have some 23 year olds playing for you (assuming you qualified). If you became ineligble the day you turned 22, then the side that you ultimately take with you to the Championships could look completely different to the side that got you there.
I think you can have a couple of players over the actaul age limit, plus it's to do when they have their birthdays to. I know spain had 4 23 year olds in their under 21s team for the under 21 world cup.
According to wikipedia he turned 22 on 25th June this year, so no he can't still play for the U21s. If he'd been born a couple of months later, he'd have just snuck into this new 2 year cycle. Lallana is another who is no longer eligible for the U21s.
Actually, it's slightly longer than just a couple of months, my mistake. 1 January 1990 is the cut-off birth date for players to be eligible for this new cycle (I had it in my head that it was either 1 August 1989 or 1 September 1989).
They have to be 21 when the qualifications start, so for this year players will have to be born in 1988 or after to qualify for the team. So jack cork could of got in. So it says on the uefa under 21 website.
http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles.../Regulations/01/55/65/06/1556506_DOWNLOAD.pdf Chapter XI, Article 17, Paragraph 17.02 As I say, it's 1 January 1990 that players have to born on or after to be eligible during this cycle (ie 2011 - 2013).
Weird in the short rules version it says 1988, also says it on the uefa wiki page to. But thanx for getting me the right info.
chambo looked amazing, as per usual. Such a shame we lost him, but oh well we got a good price. Still, would love to have kept him. I hope he sets the world alight though, go on son! He is better than theo already. He doesnt get confused when the ball comes to him... And it's a travesty that lallana didn't play for the England under age's more. At least we have kept our other boy genius. I can't wait for this bloody international break to be over so we can watch some real footy..
I can only guess that anything that says 1988 just hasn't been updated from the previous cycle (ie 2009 - 2011), as 1 January 1988 would have been the correct cut-off point for that cycle (hence why the likes of Cork and Lallana were able to play for the U21s during that period).
I think that people getting peeved about saints not getting mentioned is a tad silly, those who kmow football know where he came from. I think it is more important that parents see that southampton have a great accadamy and have a record of bringing through youngsters. Parent that care for the developement of thier boys will bring them to us. Its only tits like oxos dad that thinks a big club will benifit the developement of thier little star
Watching his performance from the highlights make me proud ... all that has come from SOUTHAMPTON! Great England Senior prospect in a few years ... Good Luck in PL Alex ...
