Nathan Redmond: 'I can handle physical test from Croatia'

Nathan Redmond has insisted that he is ready for the physical threat posed by Croatia's Under-21s on Friday.

The Norwich City winger will play a key role for England Under-21s in the first leg of their Euro 2015 qualifying tie, but he is unfazed by the suggestion he could be targeted by the visitors.

"I expect to be targeted during games or getting a kick every now and then," Redmond told reporters. "You do know what's coming from the foreign players who like a bit of a stamp on your toes or an elbow in the back.

"But when I was at Birmingham and I was training with hard players when I was 14-15. I was getting rattled about by Roger Johnson and Stephen Carr."

The second leg of the tie takes place in Croatia next Tuesday.