Tigers coach sees the worlds with GB

Last week's competition in France was Watkins' first as head coach of the GB Under-20 side, eventually winning bronze after the hosts beat Poland 7-2 in the final game.

He was joined at the tournament by Tigers youngster Macaulay Heywood, who scored three goals, and Tigers assistant coach Karl Creamer, who is team manager of GB Under-20s.

The trio arrived back in Shropshire just minutes before Telford's 7-3 victory over Bracknell Bees in the English Premier League on Saturday evening.

And Watkins was delighted with the national side's performance in a tough Division One, Group B competition.

He said: "The whole tournament was fantastic and it was an incredible experience to coach my national team. The players and staff were all great.

"The whole squad bought into a pretty simple system, which proved to be very effective for us.

"To go home with a bronze medal is a phenomenal achievement and everyone should be very proud."

Great Britain were, in fact, tied on points with gold medal winners France, who go on to play the likes of Germany and Norway in next year's Group A competition.

Despite beating Slovenia, France and Ukraine, GB were handed bronze by virtue of their lesser goal difference, after a bruising 9-3 defeat to Poland in the second game.

Watkins added: "I think if anyone had told us that we would be fighting for silver, going into the last game of the tournament, I wouldn't have believed them.

"We went there with the mindset that we wanted to stay up. So to achieve what we did was wonderful for everyone. It has been a great team and a superb group of people to work with."