The official letter arrived on a Tuesday morning in early April, bearing the distinctive Three Lions crest that had graced Cruyff's dreams since childhood. Even though Coleman had warned him it was coming, seeing his name printed on England letterhead felt surreal.
*"Dear Mr. Jensen, You have been selected for the England U17 squad for the upcoming training camp and European Championship qualifying matches against France, Portugal, and Italy..."*
[Achievement Unlocked: England Youth International Call-up]
[Significance: Major milestone in career development]
[Challenge: Competing against England's best youth players]
[Timeline: 10-day training camp, 3 international matches]
Williams found him reading the letter in the academy's reception area an hour later.
"How does it feel?" the U18 coach asked, though his expression suggested he already knew the answer.
"Unreal. Six months ago, I was just hoping to make Forest's youth team. Now this."
"You've earned it. But remember—being selected is just the beginning. You need to prove you belong at that level, same as you did here."
Williams was right, of course. England youth teams were packed with players from the Premier League's most prestigious academies. Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal—all would have multiple representatives. Cruyff would be competing against players who had been groomed for international football since they were eight years old.
[Competition Analysis: England U17 Squad]
[Academy Representation: Chelsea (4), Man City (3), Arsenal (3), others (6)]
[Experience Gap: Most players have extensive international youth experience]
[Challenge: Proving worth against established international players]
The news of his England call-up spread through the academy like wildfire. During that afternoon's development squad training, several teammates approached him with congratulations, advice, and barely concealed envy.
"England at seventeen," Ryan Peters said, shaking his head in amazement. "I've been trying to get noticed by international coaches for three years. You've done it in six months."
"Just got to perform when I get there," Cruyff replied, though internally he was already running through potential tactical scenarios and opponent analyses.
Dave Coleman pulled him aside after training.
"I've spoken to Mike Johnson—he's the England U17 coach. Good man, knows his football. He's heard positive things about your tournament performances and wants to see how you handle the step up."
"What should I expect?"
"Higher intensity than anything you've experienced. These lads have been playing international football for years—they know how to prepare, how to handle pressure, how to perform when it matters. Your job is to show them you belong in that company."
[Coaching Advice: Focus on adaptation and learning]
[Pressure Management: Perform to personal standards, not external expectations]
The week before departure was a whirlwind of preparation. Fitness tests to ensure he met international standards, tactical briefings about England's preferred systems, even basic media training for dealing with press conferences and interviews.
"The key thing," explained Sarah Roberts, Forest's media officer, "is to stay authentic. Don't try to sound older or more experienced than you are. The press appreciate honesty and humility."
[Media Preparation: Professional standards for international representation]
[Advice: Authenticity over artifice]
His final training session with Forest before joining England was deliberately low-key. Clarke had insisted that Cruyff maintain his normal routine rather than treating the camp as a massive departure.
"You'll be back in ten days," the first team manager reminded him. "This is a development opportunity, not a career change. Learn what you can, contribute what you can, then bring that experience back to help us."
[Perspective: England camp as learning experience, not career culmination]
[Expectations: Balanced view of opportunity and responsibility]
On Sunday evening, Cruyff arrived at England's training base—a state-of-the-art facility that made Forest's excellent facilities look modest by comparison. The attention to detail was staggering: personalized training schedules, nutritionist consultations, recovery protocols that resembled professional medical treatment.
In the residence hall, he was assigned a room with Josh Taylor, a Chelsea midfielder who had been part of England youth squads for two years.
"First camp?" Taylor asked as they unpacked their belongings.
"Yeah. Bit overwhelming."
"It gets easier. Key thing is to train hard, be yourself, and don't try to change your game to impress the coaches. They called you up because of how you play naturally."
[Peer Support: Experienced international players offering guidance]
[Advice: Maintain natural playing style under pressure]
The first training session the next morning was a revelation. Twenty-two of England's most promising young players, each representing the peak of their respective academies' development programs. The technical standard was exceptional, but more than that, the tactical understanding and game intelligence were remarkable.
[Training Environment: Elite youth international standard]
[Competition Level: Highest yet experienced]
[Learning Opportunity: Exposure to multiple tactical systems and approaches]
Mike Johnson, the England U17 coach, addressed the squad before training began.
"Right, lads. Some of you have been here before, some are new faces. Doesn't matter. Over the next ten days, you're representing your country. That means training standards, behavior standards, and performance standards all need to be exceptional."
He looked around the group, making eye contact with each player.
"We're preparing for three matches against top opposition. France are the defending European champions. Portugal have never lost a qualifying match at this level. Italy are rebuilding but still technically excellent. These matches will test everything you've learned at club level."
[Challenge Scope: Maximum difficulty for youth international football]
[Opposition Quality: Europe's best youth national teams]
The training session began with possession drills, and Cruyff immediately felt the step up in quality. Passes that would have been exceptional at development squad level were routine here. Movement that impressed at club level was expected as a minimum standard.
But rather than being intimidated, Cruyff found himself energized by the challenge. This was the level he'd been working toward, the standard that would prepare him for senior professional football.
During small-sided games, he focused on the lessons learned through months of adaptation. Simple passes when under pressure, ambitious ones when space allowed, constant movement to create options for teammates.
His first significant contribution came during a tactical exercise. England were practicing against a mock French formation, with Johnson emphasizing quick ball movement to exploit space between the lines.
Cruyff received the ball in central midfield with two "French" players pressing. Instead of trying to turn or dribble away from pressure, he played a first-time pass to the right-back and immediately moved into space.
The ball came back to him three passes later, and now he had time to pick out Taylor's run behind the defense. The through ball was perfect, and Taylor's finish was clinical.
[Training Ground Success: Positive first impression]
[Tactical Adaptation: Quick understanding of international systems]
"Good ball," Johnson called out. "That's exactly the kind of thinking we need—patient build-up, then incisive when the chance comes."
[Coaching Approval: Building credibility with international staff]
After training, Taylor offered his assessment as they walked back to the residence.
"You fit in well. Some new players try too hard to show what they can do individually. You're playing for the team."
"That's how I was taught at Forest. Individual brilliance means nothing if the team doesn't succeed."
"Good philosophy. Johnson likes players who understand that."
[Peer Validation: Positive integration with established international players]
[Team Culture: Collective success valued over individual statistics]