England logo seen on jersey at the round of 16 watch party for Mexico vs England at Seattle’s Pier 62.
England logo seen on jersey at the round of 16 watch party for Mexico vs England at Seattle’s Pier 62.
One of the most highly rated players in Liverpool’s setup has received a timely boost after a frustrating start to the season, with a familiar face from the club’s past giving him the chance to pull on an England shirt this month.
The Football Association officially confirmed its men’s development squads on Friday, and Barry Lewtas, who coached Liverpool’s under 21s before taking charge of England’s under 17s, has included the youngster among the players preparing for three UEFA Under 17 EURO qualifying fixtures at St George’s Park.
England open the group against Montenegro on Wednesday 11 November, face Poland on Saturday 14 November and finish against Ukraine on Tuesday 17 November, with the top two sides earning a place in the second qualifying round next March.
Josh Abe’s selection stands out because he has not played a competitive match since 15 August, when a bright summer that included a place in Andoni Iraola’s squad for the tour of the United States and a start against Manchester City in the under 18s’ opening game came to a sudden halt.
Abe needed shoulder surgery at the end of August after his right arm popped out of its socket, and he has spent the past two months working his way back towards full fitness.
Liverpool under 18s coach Simon Wiles revealed earlier this week that Abe had returned to training at the academy and would not “be too far away from getting some game time”, so the trip to St George’s Park could offer valuable minutes, even if it remains unclear how big a role Lewtas will hand a player who is still rebuilding his match sharpness.
Abe, who is 16, signed a scholarship with Liverpool in the summer after turning down lucrative offers from elsewhere, with the pathway to the first team under Iraola proving a deciding factor, and he is the only Liverpool player in the squad, where he will link up again with striker Vincent Joseph, who left Anfield for Arsenal in the summer.
The academy’s success this month goes well beyond Abe, as Rio Ngumoha has earned a place in the senior England squad, Trey Nyoni joins the under 21s, Will Wright travels to Austria with the under 19s and Erik Farkas heads to Spain with the under 18s, a list that reflects the quality of the talent currently coming through at Kirkby.
For Abe, the coming week offers a chance to put two months of rehabilitation behind him and remind everyone why Liverpool worked so hard to keep him, and doing so under a coach who knows the club so well can only help.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.