Don't turn your nose up at England's UEFA Nations League games, warns Tony Cascarino

Tony Cascarino has talked up the importance of England’s UEFA Nations League fixtures, despite the lack of enthusiasm for them.

Gareth Southgate’s young lions take on Croatia – behind-closed-doors – this evening, before travelling to Seville to play Spain on Monday night.

While some Premier League managers have questioned the logic behind another competitive tournament and many fans have admitted confusion at the concept, Cascarino says the games will be an important part of Southgate’s project.

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“For Gareth Southgate, these are big,” Cascarino told Yahoo Sport presents: The Football Show

“Even if you don’t win your group – and England could obviously drop out of the very elite group that they are in – Gareth is trying to build a project and that project is getting to World Cup finals, getting to Euros and for that to happen, everything that happens now has got got be in place.

“Doing well against Croatia, showing what you’re up against [is important]. Because they had a real lesson in the summer about playing a World Cup semi-final.

“From that it is a springboard that they can use with these Nations League games. I think it’s very important period for England.”