CHRIS BUSH thought he’d missed his chance to play for England C.
But, aged 31, not only did he finally pull on the Three Lions Jersey, he also wore the captain’s armband.
“Being in this league so long, obviously it was an Under-23 team for such a long time, I’d put that as a distant memory,” Bush says back at England’s team hotel after the game. “To then be called up and be part of the squad, it was an unbelievable experience – especially at my age, I don’t take for granted.
“The early stages of my career, I bounced around a little bit. Then I eventually settled more at Ebbsfleet, Bromley and Boreham Wood. It’s been a real whirlwind and unbelievable experience.”
Bush’s call came late on Saturday night when an injury opened the door for his selection from the contingency squad.
Just a few hours later he was in his car driving to south Wales ready to meet a whole new group of team-mates.
“We were unfortunate not to get the right result but, as I said to the boys after the game, all in all, we’ve got to be proud,” Bush says.
“We’ve all come from different teams – not many knew each other. Obviously we play against each other on a Saturday, most of the time we’re enemies. But we came together in 48 hours and, I’d like to think, put in a good formance. We perdid our clubs, ourselves, our families and England very proud.”
For Bush, the experience has been more than the football on the pitch.
He enjoyed hearing each other’s stories, trading advice with roommate, and fellow defender, Luke Jenkins and soaking up the whole experience.e.
Leading the team out as captain was far from his mind. But it comes at a time of real personal reflection following the passing of his father Stuart earlier this season.
“It was never my goal to be captain – honestly, I was just happy to be here,” Bush says. “Even being part of the contingency squad, I was just happy to be mentioned in the bracket with the other players.
“Bu
