Editor’s Note: The following was an interview conducted by Josh Layton with Seth Burkett, the last English footballer to play in Brazil.
Speculation has abounded about how England will cope in the Amazonian heat of Manaus as they turn out for their first World Cup game in Brazil. Seth Burkett, the last footballer from these shores to play professionally in the country, is one who truly knows. Burkett spent a season with Sorriso’s youth and senior teams in the western state of Mato Grosso between 2010 and 2011.
The region is a three-hour flight south of Manaus but is also more than 1,000 miles from Rio de Janeiro on the coast and is noted for its heat and humidity. Seth, who became a star in the country after being spotted while on tour with an English youth team, took three months to acclimatise to the weather. He said:
“For me, playing in Manaus is a real blow for England. Sorriso is not too dissimilar to Manaus in terms of humidity and it’s renowned for its harsh heat. It’s horrible, it’s like playing in a sauna and it will be the same for England and Italy. Both sides will really struggle to overcome the heat. The one benefit will be that the game is being played late at night.”
The Peterborough fan was noted for his commitment to Sorriso’s training regime but started at a massive disadvantage as an 18-year-old from Stamford, Lincolnshire.
“It’s really sapping, it drains you,” he said. “It took me three months to get used to it. You don’t feel like you can sprint and you have to play at a really slow tempo. You just feel knackered, playing full back I didn’t want to overlap as it was just so, so hard. The one benefit is that the games are played late at night.”
The Peterborough United fan also experienced the vast distances involved in travelling to matches – with one coach trip taking 40 hours between Sorriso and Sao Paulo. But despite Roy Hodgson’s team facing a series of seemingly insurmountable hurdles, they are likely to arrive to a fanfare in Brazil.
Seth, now 22, added:
“I think they will get quite a positive reception. A lot of people had England baseball caps and they do really respect Britain as the home of the beautiful game. The vast majority of players I spoke to wanted to play in the Premier League. I think England will get one of the best receptions out in Brazil.”
The England futsal player believes the Three Lions, whose second game is against Uruguay in Sao Paolo, can escape their group but their chances of going much further are limited. He said:
“I think the Italy game will be really hard but it will be the same for both sides. With it being the first game of the group I can imagine both Italy and England being quite conservative. I played in Sao Paolo and that was fine. The climate there was a bit like the English summer and wasn’t too bad. If they get a draw against Italy they have quite a good chance.”
Seth also tasted Brazil’s party lifestyle, despite strict rules imposed by the fifth-division club.
“We had a curfew at midnight,” he said. “The windows where we stayed were barred but every night I had the opportunity to go out through gaps in the bars and go out and party. Before games they’d take us to a hotel away from the wives and girlfriends and try and prevent them going out. It was a relaxed, party lifestyle.”
Seth has received offers from Brazilian clubs to return to the land of samba soccer, including one from Sorriso’s former director who is in charge of a new team.
Seth is taking an MA in sports science at Loughborough University and is currently writing a book about his time in the country but wants to resume his playing career in June if he can secure a work permit.
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Photo Courtesy Seth Burkett Collection
