GARETH SOUTHGATE has defended the decision to base England in the remote town of Repino for the World Cup.
They will be nearly two hours from the nearest airport in St Petersburg and could face a whopping 6,000 miles in the air if they get drawn into their worst-case scenario for three group games.
Southgate picked England’s isolated forest retreat himself.
He said: “We went through a long process in terms of looking at the venues available. We wanted to get the right balance around the location in terms of travel, in terms of climate, and the quality of the training ground that is paired with that.
“It was important for us that we had a hotel with exclusive use.
“We want to mix and engage with the local community but equally it’s important to have a base where the players can relax and switch off without being disturbed. And the reality is within a tournament, security is important as well.
“You can’t get the perfect scenario that ticks every box.
“Climate, travel, training ground, distance to the training ground, distance from the hotel to the airport.
“The longest flight would be three hours. That’s nothing — all the players are travelling that sort of distance for Champions League games.”
England are in pot two for the draw which takes place today.
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