JOSH ONOMAH is determined to show Mauricio Pochettino he can become a first-team regular at Tottenham by helping England to glory.
The Spurs midfielder and his Three Lions team-mates are preparing to take on Costa Rica in the last-16 of the Under-20s World Cup on Wednesday in Jeonju, South Korea.
And after seeing young guns Dele Alli and Harry Winks excel after being given the chance by Poch, the 20-year-old is desperate to catch a similar break at the Premier League runners-up.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, Onomah said: “I really want to show what I am capable of doing out here and this is a big opportunity for me to do that.
“Not everybody gets the chance to play at an Under-20s World Cup – but if I can show exactly what I am capable of doing it will obviously help me back at Spurs.
“I know my manager is watching, and to the fans and everyone who have not seen me yet, I want to show them what I can do.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
“Football is all about setting new goals and overcoming challenges. And mine at the moment is to win the World Cup and then step-up at Tottenham and try to become a regular starter.”
Onomah has already made 32 appearances for Pochettino’s side since coming on for his debut against Burnley in January 2015, scoring his first goal for the club against Gillingham in the EFL Cup last September.
And he did his growing-reputation no harm with a storming display in England’s last outing in the Far East as they defeated the host nation 1-0 thanks to Kieran Dowell’s strike.
That result came after a thumping 3-0 triumph over Argentina and a 1-1 draw with Guinea in the group stage, ensuring Paul Simpson’s side finished in top spot.
Onomah said: “Whenever we go into tournaments we don’t worry about the other teams. We are a close-knit squad that believes in ourselves.
“Obviously we knew it was a tough group, especially the final game against South Korea.
“Being the host nation, it was going to be a big challenge for us and we faced them earlier in the season and lost.
“But we saw it as a chance to get revenge and we took that and we are just looking forward to the last-16 now.”
Next up for England is Costa Rica, a side Onomah and has colleagues have never faced before.
“That is why we were all looking forward to the World Cup to play against new opponents and challenges.
“Costa Rica fall into that. It’ll be another tough test for us but one we are relishing.
“As a group we have a great morale, and despite everyone fighting for places, it is good competition and has brought a positive vibe and work ethic in all of us knowing that nobody’s position is safe.”
He added: “A lot of this squad won the U17s Euros in 2014 but this time it is completely different because of the amount of teams and matches in this tournament.
“That makes it much harder to win, but our experience from the past will hopefully be good use to us. We know what it’s like to be in a knockout stage and hopefully that can benefit us.”
Leave a comment