Goldstein in Israel for England futsal World Cup qualifiers

Russell Goldstein earned his third and fourth caps for the senior England futsal side at the weekend – and is now getting set to travel to Tel Aviv for a series of World Cup qualifiers.

Featuring in both warm-up games in Estonia, he played eight minutes in their first game, a 3-3 draw, before starting the second half of their 2-0 win 24 hours later.

Speaking about his performances, the 21-year-old said: “I was happy with my performance in the first game. I played roughly 12 minutes in the second game, and was ecstatic to star for England in the second half, considering this was only my fourth cap.”

Having his parents with him in Estonia, as they will be in Israel later this week, he said: “It’s amazing being able to share such a special and unique moment with your family, while representing your country.”

Russell flew out with the squad on Tuesday, where they will be playing three qualifiers, against Wales on Thursday, Denmark on Friday and Israel on Saturday.

Saying he can’t wait for the games, he said: “Being Jewish and competing in Israel adds more significance to the occasion. It’s really special being the only Jewish player in the team as I can tell players about the sights and the country and portray it in a positive light.”