Sourced from Daily Echo article
Redmond still targeting England World Cup spot
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Nathan Redmond admits he has had a tricky start to the season with Saints but has not given up hope of playing his way into England’s World Cup squad.
Redmond missed the decisive spot-kick as England Under-21s lost in the European Championship semi-finals to Germany, with his involvement in the tournament also delaying his return to Saints and new manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
The 23-year-old has not lowered his sights, though, challenging himself to excel for the club in the coming months and catch the eye of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
Redmond made his senior debut from the bench against Germany in March but faces stiff competition for a place.
“I had a tough summer with England, a bit of a personal thing there with missing the penalty,” he said.
"So I had some things to overcome in the summer, coming up late to pre-season I had a lot of catching up to do with fitness and work and getting to know the manager. It has been one of those with a new manager, new environment, new way of working and in those respects it has been quite tough but it is something that I’m learning through.
"I’ve felt a bit more better recently but football is about confidence for a lot of players and I’m certainly one of them.
“Ever since me and Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse) got called up by England it has given me that extra motivation to do that (make the World Cup) but that isn’t going to happen unless my performances for Southampton improve.That is the first thing that needs to happen.”
Given Southgate’s previous job was with the under-21s, there has been an increasingly youthful look to the national side with a series of Young Lions graduates handed important roles.
And the make-up of the squad gives Redmond belief he can be next.
“It is a weird feeling playing with the seniors. It’s the team you have watched your whole life but then again I’ve played with lots of players in the younger age groups,” he said.
“Guys like Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jack Butland - there are so many players I have played with in the younger ages so to see how they’ve done it, it just makes me go ‘wow, they’re actually doing it’ and there is that same hope and chance for me so that has spurred me on. How I do for Southampton will determine that.”
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