England Under-21s manager Gareth Southgate believes that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was fair to publicly criticise young midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek during a recent post-season tour of Australia.
The Portuguese coach substituted the 19-year-old after just 27 minutes of the Blues' friendly against Sydney FC and stated after the match that his relationship with the youngster had taken "one step back".
Ahead of the Young Lions' campaign in the European Championships in the Czech Republic this summer, Southgate told reporters: "You tend to be tougher on young players. There's a phrase 'be tough on talent' and he is a talented player.
"We've not had any indication that there's a problem with his training and that there's a character there are issues with. This is a good kid and we wouldn't have brought him into the squad if he wasn't.
"He has had a dip and had a little reminder of what he needs to do. In that sense it'll be beneficial to him."
England will take on Portugal in their opening Group B match on June 18.
Danielle Joynson
