Lewes Under 18 player Matt Whitehead has heard all the complaints about the Wembley pitch this season, but after Saturday’s England Schoolboys match against France, he reckons the pros have got it all wrong.

"You get all these players moaning it's not good enough, but it's the best surface I've ever played on, probably will ever be. Some people wondered why I’d chosen to play in my studs but the grass is two inches thick! It was just perfect.”

That was just one highlight of the day for Whitehead, despite the team losing 4-2 to the French side which consisted of young professionals.

“It’s unexplainable” he said, when asked to describe his experience. “Words cannot explain just how it feels. It just takes your breath away.”

“When I came out for the warm-up I was very nervous, but when we were waiting to kick off, I felt ok.”

“To sing the National Anthem for your country at Wembley.” After a long pause, he replied.  “Unbelievable is the only word I can say”.

“As a kid I used to watch games on TV and go outside and practice but I've actually done it now and it's better than I could have ever thought.”

It was a tough afternoon for the young players on a warm afternoon. “The pitch was hot,” he said. “You know it will be hot but when you get down there you can barely breathe.”

“I worked my socks off this afternoon. It was hard, running back and forwards all day, because the French dominated possession. After about 70 minutes I just fell over, my whole body just went but the manager saw and he took me off after that”.

Despite being on the losing side, Whitehead was more than happy to pay tribute to his French opponents. “They were a special side, who train every day and you just had to step back and admire them even though you're working against them,” he mused.

“They are doing fitness work, ball work every day and we only get together two days before a game. They didn't have more desire than us, we tried to give everything, but skill comes out in the end. At 2-1 we wanted to win but their fitness and technical ability won through in the end.”

When England took the lead through a goal scored by Eastbourne Town’s James Norwood, Whitehead admits it left him more than a little choked up.

“I was nearly in tears,” he admitted. “I tried to chase after James but he was too quick and we all just jumped on him. You can't take it all in in that little time, but once the whistle went again it was back to business.”

“I was just behind James and I wanted to the ball to drop to me but I was gutted it didn't. It was on his weaker foot and he slotted it away. If it had come to me on my right foot it would have ended up in Row Z probably.”

As the players descended the Wembley steps after their presentation at the end of the match, it was the first time that they had the opportunity to grab a few moments with their families. Whitehead’s dad congratulated fellow Lewes player David Wheeler and then grabbed his own son for an emotional bear hug. The moment wasn’t lost on the player.

“My dad has brought me up to play football. Every step of the way he's been there for me, he's driven me to matches, he's supported me, even advising me on new boots. That cuddle at the end though is nothing compared to the things he's done for me.”

“He was a half decent footballer but he never had the chance to do something like this. He has always told me to make sure you take everything in so I sat in the middle of the pitch at the end, took ten deep breaths and just took everything in. It is a moment I will never lose.”

As this eventful season draws to a close for Whitehead, he’s already looking forwards to the next one, when he hopes to be involved in the England set up again.

“I'm one of the youngest and I've got next year to consider too. I've been told I don't have to go to the trials but I want to, show them I want to work for it and try and prove myself again. It's back to the start again and I'll treat it the same as I did this year, even more so because I know what to expect.

With his mature outlook and likeable personality, not to mention his undoubted talent as a footballer, maybe next time Whitehead gets to Wembley, he’ll be the one saying that the pitch isn’t good enough.