On September 30 at 02:45 Beijing time (CEST), the England national team will travel to the Czech Republic for the second match of the UEFA Nations League group stage. Ahead of the match, England defender Lewis Hall held a press conference. This article presents excerpts from that press conference.

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【Hall: England is one of the best teams. We have to perform at our best when we take the pitch】

Lewis, great to see you!

Hello.

Actually, I'm pleased to see you back training on the pitch today because I know you missed a few sessions last week. How are you feeling physically? How's your recovery been?

Yeah, I'm feeling really good. As you just mentioned, I haven't missed too much training, so I'm feeling good right now and looking forward to tomorrow's game.

How important is the UEFA Nations League for you personally at this stage, after the World Cup?

It's always been important. I think as a nation, you always feel immense pride in being the best, and that's the level and the target we want to reach. So I think it's a competition we'll give everything to win. But I think whenever you represent your country in any competition, whenever you pull on the shirt, it's important to perform well and show the best side of yourself. And that's what we're trying to do.

You've only played two matches under Thomas Tuchel, so what has he told you about this camp? What do you expect to show?

Yeah, I think it's interesting because clearly everyone's been together for about seven weeks or however long during the summer, and they've built good bonds and relationships. They understand exactly what the manager wants from them. For me, it's just about coming in, adapting to that environment and system, absorbing all the guidance and information, and whenever I get an opportunity, just making sure I do the right things.

You were also called up to the March camp before the World Cup, and people often mention this in relation to England's natural left-back options. Do you feel this is a good opportunity to establish yourself, especially when players get injured? We often see that happen—a player gets a chance and makes the position their own.

Yeah, absolutely. You just mentioned it—whenever there's an injury or unexpected circumstances, it often creates opportunities for other players to show what they can do. But over the past few years, there have been many excellent left-backs in this position. Whenever I get an opportunity though, I'll give everything to grasp it and make the most of it.

What do you expect from the Czech Republic?

We expect it to be a very difficult match. We know they're a nation that takes great pride in their football. I think from my experience so far and from watching matches throughout my life, international matches are always tough and challenging. We're looking forward to this encounter.

Can you tell us about Lucas Hladky, your Newcastle United teammate? Have you had any interactions or messages with him?

Yeah, he's clearly a very good goalkeeper and I know him well from the club. But we'll give everything to win tomorrow's game. He's a good lad, but I still hope he doesn't perform too well tomorrow.

Lewis, you've had to wait a long time for opportunities. Looking back at your statistics this season and most of last season, your defensive performances in the Premier League have been excellent. We know your ambitions and your desire to play for your country. Is it difficult to be on the bench waiting, especially after not being called up to the World Cup squad?

Yeah, I think when you're in good form throughout the season, as I felt I was last season, anyone in a similar position who doesn't get called up would feel disappointed and frustrated. But I'm trying to channel that into motivation to come back stronger. I hope to show what I can do here and make a real impact, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming matches.

Can you tell us what was discussed in the team review after the Spain match? Thomas said that during the middle 30 minutes, England's performance was almost as good as anyone has seen in a long time, but in the other two 30-minute periods, Spain showed their true quality. If that penalty had gone in, it could have been a game you won, but if they'd scored their chances in the first 30 minutes when they could have scored four, it could have been a defeat. How do you sum it all up? What was discussed in camp?

Yeah, I think whenever you play a match, you always need to review and reflect on it. As you mentioned, throughout the game there were many positives to learn from. I think we can be proud of the effort we put in and the level of performance we showed. And as often happens in football, sometimes matches come down to small margins and mistakes. But we're very pleased with the performance we delivered that day, and we'll try to build on that.

This feels like a must-win game for your ambitions in the Nations League, doesn't it? Given the previous loss and the fact you only have six matches total in the group stage...

Yeah, I agree. I think every Nations League match is a must-win. We still have to go to Spain, and I think when we play at our best, we're second to none. So there's no reason we can't win all five remaining matches in this group.

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