Jordan Spence is gearing up for England Under-18s friendly against Austria to be played in Hartlepool on Wednesday 16 April.
The highly-rated 17-year-old, who captained the Young Lions in the FIFA World U17 Championship last year, will be a key man in Brian Eastick's squad. As well as being the first Englishman to score a competitive winning goal against Brazil, he has already earned U19 recognition. Having established himself as a reserve-team regular under Kevin Keen, the international match will be a vital chance for him to stake a claim alongside club-mates James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Freddie Sears for a forthcoming UEFA tournament.
England are through to the Elite round of the European U19 Championship in May and centre-back Spence and the rest of the West Ham United quartet all have high hopes of being involved. The Young Lions are due to come up against hosts Belarus, Serbia and Poland in a four-country mini-tournament to decide who will compete in the eight-nation 14-26 July finals in the Czech Republic. Only the winners will progress. For more information about the U18 international friendly at Hartlepool United's Victoria Park home, ring 01429 272584.