QPR’s Academy Analyst, Ben Wakefield, will be part of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada after being called-up to support England’s Women Senior Team.
Wakefield – who met head coach Mark Sampson prior to the team’s departure – will be based at St George’s Park for the duration of the tournament, before travelling to Iceland to provide direct support during the UEFA European Under-17 Championships at the end of June.
The ‘Lionesses’ head to the Finals following a 100 per cent record in qualifying and have been drawn in Group F alongside France (Tuesday 9th June), Mexico (Saturday 13th June) and Colombia (Wednesday 17th June).Wakefield is one of four interim analysts and is relishing the opportunity, telling www.qpr.co.uk:
“It’s a real privilege to be involved in something of this magnitude. It’s a chance for me to learn from some of the best analysts in the country. ObviouslyI want to help the team succeed, but if you can learn something and become a better person as well, it’s definitely worth doing.”
He added: “It was fantastic to meet the coaching team ahead of the tournament. They were all really supportive and have created a really positive atmosphere within the squad.
“There’s a real underlying confidence that England can do well this summer, so we shall see.” Wakefield has been part of the Academy setup since 2012, overseeing the analytical provisions offered to all teams from the Under-21s to Under-9s.
His role in Iceland will see him work directly with the team – something he is looking forward to before returning to Rangers for the new domestic season.
“It’ll be similar to how I work with the older academy teams,” he said. “Looking at playing styles and patterns of play, how teams use the ball, their strengths and weaknesses and how we can exploit them.
“The level of detail will be right up there with the fringes of my exposure as an analyst. “It’ll be tough and very intense but it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
SHE KICKS – the online community for women’s football
