Chalobah: England must learn quickly

England midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah does not want his side to dwell on a below-par performance against Italy and knows they must learn quickly if they are to bounce back when they take on Norway.

As a member of the England team that beat Spain to lift the UEFA European Under-17 Championship crown in Liechtenstein in 2010, Chalobah knows what it takes to be successful in age group football. However, he was helpless to prevent his side slip to an opening-day defeat after coming on as a second-half substitute against Italy.

The Chelsea FC midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Watford FC and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final, has already experienced one disappointment this season. He is keen for England to get back on track against a Norway side they beat twice in qualifying Group 8.

"It was a disappointing result [against Italy] but I think the most important thing is to get our heads on the next game because they come thick and fast," he said. "It was the first game of the tournament and nerves kicked in. We didn't play to our potential. All the lads were disappointed. The manager told us that we didn't pass the ball well enough and I think we have to improve that. If you want to win games at tournaments then your ball retention has to be up there. We've got quality players here to do that.

"The manager walked in to the changing room afterwards and spoke to us and got our confidence up after the game. You can't dwell on one game. We've got characters in the team. The skipper has a word with the lads but we've also got the likes of [Steven] Caulker and the goalkeeper [Jack] Butland who are strong characters. All the lads get on really well."

Nathaniel Chalobah enjoys training©Getty Images

On a personal level, Chalobah feels his game has come on leaps and bounds at Watford under the management of former Chelsea and Italy forward Gianfranco Zola. He also thinks that playing in Israel against different styles of football will only serve to boost his development even further. "The U21s is a big stage and there are very, very good players at tournaments like these," he continued. "It's just about having the confidence to come out here and do the best you can.

"[Playing against international sides] is the next stage for my development. Playing in the Championship for a season you see a few different playing styles but when you come to a tournament like this it's a whole new world. Coming up against the Italians we hadn't faced a team who played that sort of football before. For my development this is the best thing right now, the earlier you take things in the better it is for your future."