Emile Heskey has spoken on the harsh weather conditions England will face at the World Cup.
England’s friendly against Costa Rica was delayed due to intense rain on Wednesday night as Florida through unpredictable conditions at the Three Lions for what won’t be the final time.
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Torrential rain combined with intense heat and humidity have caused a lot of concern heading into the world cup, with nations such as Norway’s team even opting to wear ice collars around their necks during their friendly against Morocco.
England’s performances will certainly be impacted and speaking at Grosvenor Casinos Luton as part of his England World Cup Roadshow, Heskey revealed that he is worried about how the nation will cope.
“Weather and humidity will impact England’s performance throughout the tournament. Thomas Tuchel won’t be able to get as much out of his players as he would if they were playing in Europe; they’ll start sweating after walking around for a few minutes, let alone when they start running!
“The World Cup should be prepared for abnormal weather; there are many sports played during this time of the year in the United States, and if any part of the world should know how to overcome the climate challenges, it’s North America, because they’re used to it.
“There was torrential rain before England played Costa Rica; the pitch looked completely flooded an hour before kick-off, but the surface transformed and it looked as if there was no rainfall prior to the match. That said, the potential for games to be delayed due to weather could impact teams and their preparation – especially given how many more nations are competing in this World Cup.”
Thomas Tuchel’s first match against Croatia is in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday night where heat is expected to be even more intense as England desperately try to adapt to the conditions.
