International football is heading to AFC Telford United – with a top class schools match between the under-18s of England and Northern Ireland.

The New Bucks Head has been selected as the venue for the match on Friday, March 4, which will signal the start of the 2011 Centenary Shield.

Stars including Chris Smalling, who last season moved from Fulham to Manchester United for £10m, have previously got their break from playing in the annual five-team tournament involving the Home Nations plus the Republic of Ireland.

Other big names to have come to prominence playing for the England Schoolboys side include Blackpool star Gary Taylor-Fletcher and defender Ben Tozer, who moved from Swindon to Newcastle in a £2.5m deal.

“We are delighted to be bringing the team to Shropshire and we thank AFC Telford for agreeing to host the match,” said John Appleby, the vice chairman of the English Schools Football Association.

“We hope the supporters come out in force and they should be treated to a good game. “There is a lot of talent in these sides and I know there is one boy in the England team who is being tracked very closely by Manchester City.

“There are two or three who have been approached to train with Championship clubs so there is a great deal of interest in the kids who are playing.

“The quality we’ve got this year is much better than anything we have had for two or three years.”