CEO and chairman Mark Ashton says the Blues have told the FA they would be happy to host international matches at Portman Road.

Town last hosted England in October 2013 when an U21s side led by Gareth Southgate thrashed Lithuania 5-0 (above) in a Euro 2015 qualification game, Ravel Morrison and Saido Berahino netting two apiece and James Ward-Prowse once.

Portman Road hosted its only full England international in 2003 when the Three Lions defeated Croatia 3-1 in a friendly, David Beckham (pen), Michael Owen and Frank Lampard the scorers. Former Blues midfielder Kieron Dyer came off the bench and had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside.

Ashton was asked at Tuesday’s PLC AGM whether another England game at Portman Road might be on the cards.

“We’ve made it very clear to the FA that our doors are open, whether it’s a women’s game, an U21s, a youth international, we’d happily host,” he said.

“We’re 60 minutes on the train from central London. I don’t think you’re going to find a better playing surface and we’ve got good training facilities, so we have made it clear that we would definitely be happy to host.”

Prior to the Lithuania match, Portman Road hosted another U21s game against Moldova in August 2006, the match ending in a 2-2 draw with debutant Theo Walcott and David Nugent on the scoresheet.

Portman Road has also been the venue for England U21 matches against Switzerland (1980, 5-0), Romania (1985, 3-0), Albania (1989, 2-0) and the Czech Republic (1998, 0-1). An U23 side including ex-Blues boss Joe Royle drew 1-1 with Switzerland in 1971.

In 2001/02, an England U19s squad including Town’s Darren Bent and Matt Bloomfield beat Germany 3-1.

The ground also played host to a 1959 pre-Olympic Games friendly between Great Britain and the Caribbean FA ahead of the 1960 Games in Rome.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters