A Leeds United youngster has experienced cup final heartache with England’s under-18s after playing a big role for the Young Lions.
Seventeen-year-old midfielder Sam Alker signed his first professional contract with Leeds in July and the midfielder was then named in the England under-18s squad for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland.
Alker was then handed an England under-18s debut in the tournament opener against Colombia for which Alker was named on the bench and brought on with 14 minutes left.
The Leeds youngster then started his team’s second game of the competition against Egypt in which the Young Lions recorded a 2-1 victory before being an unused substitute for another win, this time a 2-1 victory against South Korea.
Those results booked England’s place in the final in which they faced Spain in Nyon on Saturday afternoon.
Alker was handed a start in the final but the contest ended in a 2-0 defeat in which Alker played the full duration of the game.