Army U23s 'quietly confident' of Inter Services success says new head coach Keith Emmerson

The British Army under-23s football team are preparing for their Inter Services campaign with the hopes of lifting the trophy and ending the Navy's dominance.

According to their new head coach, Warrant Officer Class 1 Keith Emmerson, the team are "quietly confident" of achieving their goal.

He said: "As long as we get the best version of the group we've got, I'm quietly confident that we can do the business.

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"The Navy have proven themselves over the years to be a formidable outfit but, at the end of the day, all we can do is focus on ourselves."

The opening match of the tournament will be shown live on the BFBS Forces News YouTube channel – find out more here.

WO1 Emmerson has been a leading figure in British Army and UK Armed Forces football over a number of years and that experience could be daunting for the players, but the head coach believes it won't affect things.

"It's okay being a footballer who's had experience and success, but that's success as a footballer," he said. "I haven't had success as a coach because I came into coaching late.

"I'm judged as a coach. I'm not judged as a footballer so, for me, it's about making sure that the boys respect each other, perform for each other and making sure that I can give them experience.

"What I've learnt and what I've gained from the game will hopefully make them better players."

The Army head coach was speaking after his side's 5-2 loss to Bracknell Town Academy – watch highlights from that game here.