England men’s hockey head coach Bobby Crutchley is ready to put youth to the test against the world’s best after naming his squad for December’s Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar, India.
After an agonising fourth-place finish at the World Cup this summer before bronze at the Commonwealth Games, Crutchley’s will open their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia on December 6.
The clash with the world champions will be followed by matches against Belgium and Pakistan and, as well as the experienced heads of Barry Middleton and Ashley Jackson, Crutchley is ready to give a debut to youngster Chris Griffiths.
“Chris has impressed since he joined the programme and I’ve watched him improve through the junior age groups and through his club hockey at Loughborough Students and now East Grinstead,” said Crutchley.
“He’s an exciting young forward and I’m looking forward to seeing him step up to senior international hockey. The Champions Trophy will provide us with the first real opportunity to assess where we are at as a squad following a significant block of training.
“The tournament sets us against the best teams in the world and allows us to give new players an opportunity to play at the very top.”
© Sportsbeat 2014