Junior Stanislas continues to have a memorable March after being drafted into the England squad for the Under-20 friendly against Italy at Loftus Road on Tuesday night.
The 19-year-old winger, who can play on either flank, will join club-mates James Tomkins and Freddie Sears in the squad, raising his prospects of earning a place in the selection that will travel to Egypt for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in late summer. Stanislas has enjoyed a tremendous 2008/09 campaign, first of all consolidating his place as a regular in Alex Dyer's reserve-team set-up.
Things have accelerated in recent weeks. On 1 and 4 March respectively, he was an unused substitute for the first-team's 1-0 wins against Manchester City and Wigan Athletic. He was then taken by Gianfranco Zola on the club's warm-weather training camp to Spain before a major stride forward with his senior debut as a subsitute for Savio in the 0-0 draw against West Bromwich Albion on 16 March.
Stanislas then hit a hat-trick last Friday in a 4-2 reserve-team friendly success away to Chelsea, with several experienced internationals on view in both teams. The south Londoner has previously been capped by England at Under-19 level. He has been with West Ham United since the age of ten and is the eighth Academy graduate to play for the first team this season.
* England U20s v Italy U20s gets under way at 7pm at Loftus Road on Tuesday. Admission on the door is £5 for adults and £1 for concessions
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