Wink gives Gibraltar something to smile about

Scorer of Gibraltar's first goal in any UEFA football competition, Under-17 forward George Wink is excited by what the future holds.

Having recorded victory against San Marino in UEFA Futsal EURO 2014 qualifying at the start of the year and dfter dipping their toe in the water at U19 level earlier this month, UEFA's newest member association took part in UEFA European U17 Championship qualifying round Group 7 in Armenia this past week. Like the U19s, they were beaten in all three of their qualification fixtures, but Stephen Head's team did manage to score. Indeed, they took the lead twice – against the Republic of Ireland and Armenia.

Wink, the scorer on both occasions, was proud to have found the net but rued his side's failure to make more of an immediate impact in a section topped by England. "Of course we knew it would be difficult as there were some very strong teams in our group," he said.

"However, we wanted to earn a result – we just didn't have enough experience," added Wink. "As a forward, I am very happy that I scored twice, but it would have been better if we had got better results. The most important thing is that we have the opportunity to participate in all UEFA tournaments, and that is really exciting."

Head was equally phlegmatic despite his squad's three defeats, acknowledging that it will take time for Gibraltar to make an impression. "I am glad Gibraltar is now part of the UEFA family," he said. "We need to become more professional. However, I am satisfied with the team's performance. I am sure the experience gained in our first UEFA tournament will prove useful in the future."