Mills & Smith want their share of the limelight too.
All the talk at Elland Road this week has been of Jonathon Woodgates and Lee Bowyers addition to the England squad after their two-year exile due to well publicised off-the-field incidents. Bowyer will be looking to win his first cap while Woodgate a second, but away from all the hype and brouhaha of the FAs decision to include the pair in the squad there are a couple more Leeds players with points to prove. Both Danny Mills and Alan Smith have both been criticised in the past for having alleged suspect temperaments but Mills had a successful World Cup and Smith a good tournament in Switzerland with the Under 21s. Away from the glare of publicity both players will be looking to add more credibility to their claims for a regular starting spot in the England team. Givemefootballs Ian Clarkson spoke to both players at their team headquarters, the New Hall hotel in Birmingham ahead of Saturdays important friendly against a talented but inconsistent Portugal outfit.
The Danny Mills story
Mills began by reminiscing about the World Cup 2002 tournament as a whole and his own performances, which perhaps exceeded his own expectations.
He said: "I have always been confident in my own ability, always believed that I was good enough to wear an England shirt and I never had any doubts. Hopefully I proved that in the World Cup, but it was just a five-game spell in a short space of time."
"It was great while it lasted and a fantastic experience but now it's over and it's time to move on and prove that I can do it over the course of a season. It's a memory that I will always cherish but now we have to look forward to the European Championships."
While many of the public often see England friendlies as little more than PR exercises, the ex Norwich and Charlton man views this game as a very important workout with the European Championship qualifiers looming around the corner.
"Friendlies are important," insisted Mills. "You dont want to go in cold straight from the World Cup to a Euro 2004 qualifier, especially early in the season and it's a chance for players to stake a claim and show what they can do as well as offering the manager a chance to experiment slightly. Also no international fixture is really a friendly as players are always giving it 100 per cent because they want to do their best for their country."
Mills is delighted to see another four Leeds teammates alongside him with Paul Robinson making up the famous five and believes that the players are improving as a group all the time. "Alan Smith has really come on as a player," enthused Mills. "He has been unfairly labelled, maybe as I was last season, of having a suspect temperament, but I think he has shown this season that he is a very good player, in fact a great player. He has kept a cool head so far and I am sure will continue to do so."
"Maybe it is a little bit of a surprise that Paul has been included as we are only four games into the campaign but he showed the season before last that he is a very good goalkeeper. It is great for Leeds United that we have five players in the squad and I am delighted for the new boys. Woody is back in the frame now after a long absence and Lee has the chance to prove that he can do it a the highest level."
"As for myself, I need to prove week in and week out that I can stay in the team. Last year I made two mistakes regarding my temperament and was fully aware of them, the moments they occurred. However, I am sure if it's not my temperament then it will be something else that everyone can worry about!"
"I will just get on and do my thing; hopefully I am improving as a player and taking on board my experiences from last season and the World Cup. Every opportunity I have I need to play well and to a very high standard to prove that I am worthy of retaining the number two jersey."
As well as dealing with Erikssons innovations, the Elland Road boys have had to contend with another tactical wizard this campaign, renowned ex England Boss, Terry Venables, who appears to have the team playing in a different style to they had been used to under the tutelage of David O'Leary.
It will certainly take time to gel as Mills confesses: "It's a little bit different and I think it will take us maybe another month or so before everyone settles into it properly. These things take time though and you cant expect a new manager to come in and change the system and miracles happen overnight but when we do get it right, with the players we have got then we will be a very hard team to beat."
One of the criticisms that have been thrown at Eriksson after the defeat against Brazil was that he is not demonstrative enough but when this question was thrown to the 25-year-old he gave it short shrift and defended his manager to the hilt. "I don't think a manager can do a great deal from the sidelines except make substitutions. Players are fully capable nowadays of making their own decisions and even though the manager has taken a lot of the blame it was down to the players. We were the eleven who played in the second half and it was down to us and at the end of the day we just weren't quite good enough."
Whether it is a friendly or a World Cup, Under 21 or full international, 12-cap Mills still admits to an adrenaline rush every time he pulls on the three lions. "It is one of the best moments in football you could ever wish for, putting on an England shirt is a very proud moment and something to look forward to."
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