Welbeck: Southgate wants England to play with freedom

England will look to express their creative flair at the World Cup thanks to Gareth Southgate’s managerial style, says Danny Welbeck.

Southgate’s youthful 23-man squad may only have 11 World Cup appearances between them heading to Russia but the manager is keen for the players to show their vast array of talents, and not worry about making mistakes.

That has created a new atmosphere around the England squad, according to Welbeck, and they are relishing the chance to impress on the international stage.

“[Gareth Southgate] mentioned he wants us to express ourselves and play on the pitch, and in football people make mistakes, just like in everyday life people make mistakes,” the forward told reporters after scoring in England’s 2-0 friendly win over Costa Rica on Thursday.

Next stop: Russia.   #threelions pic.twitter.com/2zatwkmdmy

— England (@England) June 7, 2018

“It’s how you learn from it and how you stand up and react afterwards. 

“Obviously, you’d rather not make mistakes, but to express yourselves, there might be a couple more moments. A misplaced pass or a misplaced touch.

“It gives you that freedom to go out and play on the pitch.”

After friendly wins over Nigeria and Costa Rica, the Three Lions kick-off their World Cup campaign on June 18 against Tunisia in Volgograd.