Interview: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on England's future stars

He’s the youngest member of the current England squad, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain thinks that it’s his relationships with the squad’s other young guns, that could be key to England’s success in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Since the summer, Roy Hodgson has given the country’s young stars a chance to prove themselves, blending them in with his more experience pros. And, Oxlade-Chamberlain believes that it’s their bond as friends that well help them perform come game time.

“I think friendship in football is a massive part of the team.” says the eighteen-year old who was speaking as Disney XD’s new Aim Mentor. “When you have a good bunch of youthful players, it’s good to start them off together earlier rather than later, as they build up friendships. If you are good friends with someone you get to know them better, and their strengths and weaknesses. You have that respect for each other and you learn the way one another play. If you start off coming through the different youth systems together, and then play senior at an early stage it can only be beneficial and it’s been working well so far”.

With international retirements, injuries and Hodgson over-looking some of England’s more established names like Rio Ferdinand and Peter Crouch, Oxlade-Chamberlain can sense a new era for this England team, with the right mix of youth and experience.

“Coming into the new qualifying campaign, we have more time to build up to the World Cup and the manager can stamp his mark on the team, and how he wants us to play. There are a lot of young players coming through from all different clubs like Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Jack Wilshere’s coming back and Danny Sturridge. Which is all really positive. And to have the likes of Steven Gerrard as your captain and the senior players around it’s an exciting time.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain was a surprise member of Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad, and he thinks despite England’s quarter-final knockout he still looks back at the tournament as a success.