Jordan Spence's rise through the ranks takes another step forward this week as he looks set to captain England Under-18s against Austria on Wednesday night.
The cultured centre-back is no stranger to Young Lions duty. He has regularly worn the armband for his country at U16 and U17 level and already figured for the U19s at the age of just 17. The Chigwell School old boy, who is as comfortable talking off the pitch as he is performing on it, is determined to succeed with both club and country while also understanding there is still plenty of hard work to be done.
This season, skipper Spence played an integral role for Tony Carr's Under-18 side as they pushed the ever-strong Arsenal all the way in their league. He has also shown good versatility at full-back with the reserves, before settling down of late in his more usual role for Kevin Keen's second string with James Tomkins' promotion to the senior set-up. That culminated earlier this month in Spence finding himself up against proven international striker Claudio Pizarro when the reserves travelled to west London to take on Chelsea.
"It was a fantastic experience to play against some really top class opponents who were not only good Premier League players but world class as well," Spence said. "You have to conduct yourself the same regardless of who you are playing against and then against someone like Pizarro you can really see how you fare." It was to prove a testing encounter as Chelsea had several first-teamers up against an inexperienced United side but the lessons learned in the 3-0 defeat will hold Spence in good stead as will the advice he gets from the likes of Anton Ferdinand.
Keen's team fared better on their last outing, a 2-1 home defeat of an extremely youthful Derby County but for Spence the approach was the same. "Even if you find yourself playing against not as well known opposition - you still want to say you have come out on top and done the best you can. We had a situation where we had quite a few young players in and I found myself as one of the more senior players. We always need to have the same attitude whoever we are playing. We need to be professional and just play the best we can."
It has been a busy schedule of late, as shown by the trip to Hartlepool to take on Austria in that U18 friendly on Wednesday night, but Spence would not have it any other way. "For the last few months it has been two games a week. I didn't play as many reserve games earlier on in the season as I am now but we are managing it well and it is enjoyable. It is brilliant to do well on both fronts with the youth team and the reserves."
Spence is used to success. Having led England to runners-up spot in the 2007 UEFA European U17 Championship, he followed that up last summer with a fantastic run to the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup quarter-finals in South Korea . Along the way, Spence scored a dramatic last-gasp winner against Brazil - the first time at any level England have ever beaten the South American giants in a competitive encounter.
"With England, it is fingers crossed for Austria that it will all go well. It is the same age group. It is a slightly more experimental squad because it is not a competitive year [for the U18s]. Again we always look when we join up to win and to come away with a positive result so we can look to the Under-19s and possibly stake a claim to get in to that squad."
Spence particularly has one eye on establishing himself in the U19 squad that will take part in a four-nation UEFA qualifying tournament in May in Belarus - especially as Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Freddie Sears are all in the frame to be involved. "I will go with the U18s and certainly do my best to make a good impression," Spence added. "We will see where it leads me. That is their age group and I would expect all three of them to be staking a very big claim to be involved and if I can throw my name in the hat I will obviously be more than happy."
Spence is thrilled to see his colleagues breaking through, describing it as "fantastic" and telling how everyone at the Academy "shares in their success". He added: "The desire is there to make the first team and the fact that the opportunity is there makes you even hungrier and gives you that desire to push on. That is the ambition to play first-team football anywhere and then to play first-team football at what is a huge and massive club with a massive following. It would just be awesome but hopefully that is all to come."