Academy midfielder Andre Dozzell and keeper Nick Hayes have been named in the England U17 squad for the St George’s Park Tournament later this month. The games are preparation for the first qualifying round of the UEFA European Championships in October.
England, who will be based at St George’s Park near Burton throughout the competition, take on Italy at AFC Telford United’s Bucks Head Stadium on Wednesday 26th August, then face Turkey at the Banks’s Stadium, Walsall two days later and finally Portugal at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium on Sunday 30th August.
Blues boss Mick McCarthy says first-year scholar Dozzell, 16, the son of former midfielder and current Academy coach Jason, is one of a number of young players who don’t look out of place when they train with the senior squad.
"He’s trained with the first team on a number of occasions and he’s a really very, very good player,” McCarthy said.
"I would have no doubt, certainly if we played a three, if we played 4-3-3, that he could cope with it.
"Whether physically playing 4-4-2 against two of the better ones, I don’t know. But he’s a very good player. He’s a bright young talent.”
Dozzell junior, capped by England at U16 level last season, began his full-time scholarship this summer and has already featured for the U21s, starting in Monday’s 2-1 win at Leeds.
But McCarthy says the midfielder is far from the only youngster making an impact when training with the senior players.
"There’s Kundai Benyu there as well, who is doing really well,” he added. "And Adam McDonnell, who might be 24 now because he’s been here for about six years without being able to play.
"I know he’s not come through the Academy but he’s training with the first team and he’s doing really well.
"Sometimes when you have some of the kids in the session’s not quite as good. But whenever Doz comes over, I would pay him the biggest compliment by saying that that’s not the case, or Kundai, how they handle it. It’s nice that.
"And Josh Emmanuel has been the same and Myles Kenlock, Josh Yorwerth. Myles, a bit like Josh Emmanuel, nobody should worry about him physically because he can handle all of that.
"To have that bubbling underneath is nice. Certainly we’ve got a stronger squad and we’ve got better beneath that as well.”
Clacton-based Hayes, also 16 and one of two first-year scholar keepers along with Harry Wright, the son of former Blue Richard, is receiving his first England call but was invited to an England goalkeepers’ training camp at St George’s Park at the end of last season with Academy manager Bryan Klug having high hopes for his future.
"We’ve also got another young lad who is training with the England squad, Nick Hayes, who is another fine goalkeeper,” Klug said. "He’s joining as a scholar as well, so we’ll have really good competition amongst the goalkeepers.”
England U17s: Jared Thompson (Chelsea), Nick Hayes (Ipswich Town), Jordan Williams (Huddersfield Town), Edward Francis (Manchester City), Sadou Diallo (Manchester City), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Vashon Neufille (West Ham United), Jaden Brown (Tottenham Hotspur), Charlie Gilmour (Arsenal), Callum Slattery (Southampton), Andre Dozzell (Ipswich Town), Adam Lewis (Liverpool) Diego Lattie (Manchester City), Keanan Bennetts (Tottenham Hotspur), Jonathan Leko (West Bromwich Albion), Niall Ennis (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Mackenzie Heaney (Newcastle United), Martell Taylor-Crossdale (Chelsea), Samuel Shashoua (Tottenham Hotspur).