Tom Mucklin, a postgraduate PGCE Secondary Physical Education student, found out he had been chosen to represent his country in April and was thrown straight into the England line-up for the following two matches.

EUS, who also coordinate the England national university teams of rugby, hockey and netball, select a squad of the best university footballers each year to compete in ‘North v South’ and ‘Home Nations’ tournaments, along with friendlies against non-league clubs and high-profile youth outfits such as Manchester United U23s.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the usual tournaments were cancelled but Tom, who captained Leeds Trinity University during his undergraduate degree and is currently vice-captain of the Kings Lynn Town reserves, has still been able to pull on the England shirt for two games.

He said: “Wearing the England shirt was a dream come true. From an early age I wanted to represent the country in some way – now I have finally done it! When I got the call from [Head Coach] Andy Coyles I couldn’t believe it. It was one of the best days of my life.

“I settled into the team really well and was helped by the fact I knew a few of the lads already from playing with them at Leeds Trinity. Joining up with the national squad has helped me develop greatly, in part due to playing under the pressure of representing England.”

Tom played the full 90 minutes in a 4-1 win against Chorley and 75 minutes in a 1-0 defeat to this season’s FA Vase runners-up Consett. A recipient of the University’s Platinum Sports Scholarship, Tom combines his studies with a strong ambition to succeed as a footballer.

With grassroots sport one of the many activities to suffer heavily from the Covid-19 restrictions, the University’s financial support allowed Tom to pursue his ambition. He added:

“After graduation I would like to try and push into the Kings Lynn first team. I think it’s important whilst I am still young to try and progress and learn as quickly as possible.

“In this respect I’ve been helped hugely by the Scholarship granted to me by the University. Due to the pandemic my season was stopped for around three months, during which time the Scholarship paid for some gym equipment which allowed me to keep fit while I wasn’t playing.

“The University staff are incredibly supportive and are always wanting to know what they can do to help.”

Dr Andrew Mitchell, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education and Sport, commented: “We are delighted to see Tom get called up to the English Universities Sport football squad. The call up is testament to his strong work ethic not only as a football player but as a student too.

“I am particularly proud to note that Tom is a Platinum Scholar here at the University of Bedfordshire and it’s exciting to see our student athletes excelling and gaining recognition at the highest levels.”

Andrew Coyles, Head Coach of the EUS Men’s football team, added:

“Since Tom was selected to represent the EUS Men’s football programme, I have known him to be dependable, responsible, honest and courteous. Tom has been a popular member of the squad and is both appreciated and respected by both staff and players.

 “One of the most important qualities that I see in Tom is that he has a willingness to learn and always keeps himself up-to date with what is going on in the football/coaching industry. Every new piece of information that becomes available for elite/sports, he either already knows about it, or at the very least, is reading about it. 

“So far, I have personally found my time with Tom very rewarding and I am enjoying my time working with him as he is valuable member of my EUS team. His desire and hunger to improve is infectious and he has the respect from all working with him.”

For more information about PGCE courses at the University of Bedfordshire, visit the Faculty of Education and Sport pages.

For details about Sport Scholarships at the University, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/sport