Source: Team_Talk
Jones hopes to 'put on a performance'
lackburn defender Phil Jones maintains England Under-21s can rise to the challenge when they take on Romania at Carrow Road on Friday night.[LNB] The two teams will lock horns in the first leg of their European Championship play-off at in front of a capacity crowd tonight.[LNB]Stuart Pearce's Young Lions secured one of the runners-up spots after finishing behind Greece in their qualifying group.[LNB]However, it will be no easy ride against the Romanians.[LNB]Pearce, though, chose compact Carrow Road for the atmosphere at the ground, which will host a 25,700 sell-out.[LNB]"I am very impressed with the stadium and facilities. There will be a big crowd here and hopefully we can put on a performance," said Jones, 18.[LNB]"We have to keep it tight at the back and anything is a bonus.[LNB]"You have got to keep it tight in any game and that's our job.[LNB]"We will look to get a goal here and see where that will take us."[LNB]Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has also been included in the senior group for Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifying tie against Montenegro at Wembley.[LNB]The 18-year-old could yet be retained by Pearce for the second leg in Botosani, though.[LNB]Jones maintains while having Wilshere in the side is clearly a bonus, the squad has plenty of strength in depth.[LNB]"Jack is an unbelievable talent. He loves to run with the ball, loves having the ball and is very creative on and off the ball," said Jones.[LNB]"He is a massive, massive boost for us.[LNB]"Jack is a great player, but there are other great players in this talented squad."[LNB]Jones, who has already made some nine appearances for Rovers' first team this season, continued: "It is a credit to English football that so many youngsters have come through into the Premier League recently.[LNB]"There are quite a lot who have broken into the first team and kept a place regularly and that only speaks volumes for English football."[LNB]Pearce maintains there are plenty of reasons to believe England's latest crop of talent can follow in the footsteps of James Milner, Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson to make an impact within the senior set-up.[LNB]"You are looking for me to say 'it's all fantastic' or 'it's all doom and gloom', but we are somewhere in between," he said.[LNB]"You can never have enough coming through.[LNB]"We have got a reasonably talented bunch, but you still want better players and more players coming through, and more players playing regularly in the league.[LNB]"We have to nurture what we have got and try and improve what we have got coming through from grass-roots level."
