Australian goalkeeper Liam Driscoll has been invited to join a training camp for the England under-19s and 20s, threatening his future opportunities to represent Australia.
The training camp will take place at St George's Park between November 27 to 29 with Driscoll set to take part after catching the eye of England coaching staff.
The 18-year-old, who is eligible to represent England through his parents, is currently playing for Staines Town FC in the Isthmian League Premier Division, on loan from Championship side Reading FC.
Despite being born and raised in Australia, the FFA’s focus on bringing A-League players into national youth teams has made Driscoll realise his opportunities with Australia could be limited.
While an England call-up at youth level means he can still play senior international football with Australia, Driscoll is intent on working hard and taking the opportunities presented before him. He is said to be honoured by the opportunity to represent the country of his parent’s birth and to have his talent recognised by the England coaching staff.
He is said to still consider himself an Australian but the chance to represent England and continue his progression in their youth setup is one too good to pass up.
Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Tom Glover was caught in the middle of a joust between England and Australia in 2014 with both nations wanting him for their respective national youth teams.
While Australia has won that battle for now, they have previously lost players to other national teams.
Perth-born defender Gethin Jones was eligible to play for Australia but strong, early interest from Wales has meant he is unlikely to ever represent the Socceroos.
Originally from Perth, Driscoll played for Balcatta SC and Bayswater SC in the Western Australian NPL before joining Reading in 2015.
While most of his appearances with the club have come with the under-18 team, Driscoll has also made the under-23 squad on a few occasions.
He signed a professional contract with the club earlier this year and spent the pre-season in Holland training with the club’s first team, under the supervision of legendary Dutch footballer Jaap Stam.
Image: Twitter.
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