2025-10-18 13:31:39
James McAtee “didn’t know what to do” when he was handed the Under 21 European Championship trophy.
The 22-year-old midfielder captained England to victory in the tournament and while it was a “great feeling” to accept the prizes for winning, he was very nervous.
He told FourFourTwo magazine: “A great memory and a great feeling…
“To be honest, I was quite nervous. I’d seen other captains do it, but I didn’t properly know what to do.”
James’ great uncle, the late Alan Ball, was part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad, and while the Nottingham Forest player can’t remember his relative, he has always been an inspiration.
He said: “I’ve been told that I met him once or twice.
“I don’t remember it but he’s always been an inspiration – my mum would tell me about him when England played, so it was something I knew about from a very young age.
“Having a family member who won the World Cup has always been a great honour.”
James’ father and grandfather both played rugby professionally but it was never the sport for him.
He said: “When I was only seven or eight, my dad took me to a few training sessions, but it wasn’t for me.
“I was no good, I’m too soft for rugby.
“I thought, ‘I’ll stick to football.’ ”
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