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Jack Hinshelwood out to ‘break the mould' with England U21s and claims Young Lions aren't weighed down by past failures
JACK HINSHELWOOD says England's young guns are out to 'break the mould' and finally end 60 years of hurt next summer.
The Brighton star, 20, could get his hands on his first piece of silverware with the Three Lions on his shirt on Saturday in Bratislava.
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But beating old foes Germany to record back-to-back U21 European Championship crowns is just the start of what Hinshelwood and his team-mates want to do.
Along with the 2023 group Lee Carsley led to glory before them, which included the likes of Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon, they are dead set on conquering the world.
Hinshelwood said: 'We've got to remain humble. We're in the Under-21s. But we've got a great group and Lee always talks about how we need to break the mould of what people think of English football.
'We haven't won a major tournament for 60 plus years now. We know that we have amazing individuals in this group. Two years ago, they also had an amazing group and you see what them players are doing now.
'It's really inspiring for us and really gives us that extra motivation to want to do well and reach that level.'
Legendary names - including the famous Golden Generation - have failed to deliver for the nation.
However, Hinshelwood insists his generation is not weighed down by history.
He said: 'No, of course not. The past is in the past and there's not much we can do about it. We're all looking to the future and there's a bright future.'
Hinshelwood faces a huge year ahead - and not just on the pitch with Brighton and trying to catch Thomas Tuchel 's eye.
He revealed last month that he and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
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And speaking of family, Hinshelwood himself comes from a huge footballing one.
Great-grandfather Wally Hinshelwood, his grandad Paul, great-uncle Martin and his dad Adam, manager of National League York City and who will travel out to the final, were all pro players.
Some say Hinshelwood was born to play the beautiful game - but hearing about all of his team-mates' journeys has helped create an unbreakable bond between the group.
He said: 'I've learned so much from my family and speaking to the boys here, they've got amazing families and everyone's got different journeys.
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'It's nice to hear how everyone has got to this point and it brings us closer together so yeah it's really nice.
'Sometimes we don't get to see each other as much but when you're away for a tournament you get to spend good quality time with these people and get to know them and you can build great bonds. We've got a great bond off the pitch and we're now showing it on the pitch.
'This is my first international tournament, so it's great being here and I've loved every second. To get to the final is amazing, but we know we've got one more job to do now and that's to bring it home.'
Hinshelwood added: 'Right from the start we came in with a lot of belief that we can really do well in this tournament and go all the way.
'We probably didn't really show up until the quarter-finals. But these last two games we've really put in good performances and the results have followed. We've got one more big job to do now.'
England's Under-21 Euros squad in FULL
ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia.
Here is Lee Carsley's full squad for the blockbuster tournament:
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
