Academy midfielder Monty Patterson has joined up with the New Zealand U20 squad for three friendlies in Auckland next week. Patterson has been at Playford Road since January and formally joins the Blues' youth set-up on a two-year scholarship in the summer.
The New Zealand youngsters play Fiji on Sunday and Tuesday, and Papua New Guinea on Thursday.
In October, Patterson featured for New Zealand in their three games at the FIFA U17 World Cup finals in the UAE.
Prior to that, in April last year, the 17-year-old won the Golden Ball at the Oceania Football Confederation U17 Championship when he joint-top scored on six goals with team-mate Stuart Holthusen.
Two months later, Patterson won his first cap with the New Zealand ‘A’ side when he came on as an 85th minute sub as they lost 1-0 to Jordan in a friendly in Auckland.
New Zealand U20s: Sam Copp (East Coast Bays), Damien Hirst (Birkenhead United), Cameron Hogg (Eastern Suburbs) , Adam McDonald (Western Springs), Ruben Parker (Waitakere City), Oliver Sail (Central United), Zac Speedy (Three Kings United), Cory Brown (Western Suburbs), Tamupiwa Dimairo (Miramar Rangers), Brock Messenger (Sunshine Coast Fire), Scott Midgley (Western Springs), Adam Mitchell (Central United), Thomas Probert (Wellington Olympic), Deklan Wynne (East Coast Bays), Finn Cochran (Central United), Andrew Blake (Miramar Rangers), Daniel Bowkett (Miramar Rangers), Andre De Jong (East Coast Bays), Clayton Lewis (Wellington Olympic), Alex Palezevic (Western Suburbs), Monty Patterson (Ipswich Town), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Matt Ridenton (Wellington Phoenix), Joel Stevens (Miramar Rangers), Judd Baker (East Coast Bays), Stuart Holthusen (Onehunga Sports), Elijah Neblett (Birkenhead United), Tomislav Trbuhovic (Whittlesea Ranges).