LONDON: England’s World Cup qualification can provide a lift for Manchester United, manager David Moyes said on Friday as the Premier League champions seek an improvement on the stuttering start to their title defence.
United’s squad boasts several England internationals including Wayne Rooney, who scored the opener against Poland on Tuesday which helped secure the spot at Brazil 2014, and Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick and Danny Welbeck who all featured.
Asked if the players’ national team success could be a boost for the club, Moyes put aside his feelings as a Scotsman towards English success.
“Yeah, well we have a lot of England internationals who play for Manchester United and that’s pleasing as I’m sure it’s a big boost for them and a big boost for the country as well,” he told a news conference.
United, who won a 20th league title last term, have had a bumpy start to the season after Moyes took over from long-serving and highly successful manager Alex Ferguson, and they sit ninth in the table with 10 points from seven games.
United host surprise packages Southampton in the league on Saturday at the start of a run of four successive home matches featuring a Champions League encounter with Real Sociedad, a league game against Stoke and a League Cup match against Norwich. (Reuters)
