Shropshire pair get England football call

Two Shropshire youngsters will be part of an English assault on world football's most dominant nation next week.

Shrewsbury Town goalkeeper Callum Burton and defender Arlen Birch, who lives in Ellesmere, have been named in the 18-strong England under-16 squad heading to Madrid for a clash with Spain.

It will be a debut for Newport-based Burton, a 15-year-old Adams Grammar School pupil, who impressed during a training camp in Leigh, Manchester, last month.

Burton has been on the books of Town since the age of 10 and will join the club's two-year scholarship scheme in July.

"Callum is over the moon," said his father Mark, who will fly out with the rest of his family to watch next Wednesday morning's game.

"He has devoted his whole childhood to his goalkeeping and this is his reward."

Burton's call up continues a fine recent tradition of Shrewsbury goalkeepers, following on from Joe Hart's meteoric rise to England's No 1 after joining Manchester City and Mason Springthorpe's transfer to Everton last year.

Birch, who attends Lakelands School and is on the books of Everton, made two appearances for England under 16s in their successful Victory Shield campaign against the other home nations earlier this season.

He lined up against Wales and Northern Ireland in October.

The pair will link up with the rest of the squad on Sunday at a hotel in Buckinghamshire before flying out to Spain on Monday.