WHEN Guiseley player Josh Stones pulls on his shirt for the English Schools Under-18 side at the end of this month, he will be following some legendary players who have worn an English Schools shirt in Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews, Len Shackleton and Jonny Haynes.
In more recent times the likes of Bobby Charlton, Terry Venables, Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs (then known as Wilson) have played for English schools.
Stones,18, has been given the Number nine shirt in an England squad that includes only one other Yorkshire player - North Yorkshire's Alfie Dean, who will wear shirt Number 16.
The English Schools' squad will play some friendly games at the end of this month, the first against the RAF Under-23s, prior to playing in the 2022 Centenary Shield in March and April. The Centenary Shield games will be shown live on BBC IPlayer, the BBC Sports App and the connected red button.
The Centenary Shield campaign starts with an away game against Northern Ireland at the new Harland & Wolff Welders Blanchflower Stadium in Belfast on Friday, March 25th. The ground is named after the legendary Northern Ireland and Spurs captain Danny Blanchflower.
The second game sees what is probably the most famous of the Home International clashes with England taking on the Auld Enemy Scotland at Spennymoor Town FC on Friday, April 1
This is followed by a game against the Republic of Ireland at Eastleigh in Hampshire on Friday, April 8.
The final clash is an away game against Wales at Briton Ferry Llansawwel FC near Neath,South Wales, on Thursday, April 14th. All games kick-off at 7pm.
Stones, from Gildersome, is part of the Guiseley Academy set up and he completes the education part of his Academy scholarship at Shipley College.
He had a spell in the youth set up at Bradford City and previously pulled on an England shirt when his Leeds Schools' Under-11 team won a competition to represent England in the Danone Nations Football Competition in 2015. This was played in Marrakech, Morocco.
A midfielder turned striker by Guiseley Academy boss Dave Currie, Stones made his first team debut this season in the away game at Darlington on October 31. He has now made 13 appearances for the first team including eight starts. He has netted one goal, the winner at Telford.
He has scored 17 goals in 11 games for the Guiseley Academy thus far but his games for them are now limited due to his English Schools and first team duties.
He will meet up with the English Schools squad for a four day training programme at the FA National Football Centre at St George's Park, Staffordshire, from February 23rd. The squad, sponsored by Inspiresport, will stay at the Hilton at St George's Park.
Josh's Guiseley teammate Jakub Hebda has been selected as first reserve for the England squad after also impressing in the trial games and may well yet get a call up. In the final trial Stones scored twice in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch whilst Jakub played the whole game in a 2-2 draw.
The pair also played in the North v Midlands game which the North won 8-1, with Stones netting four goals.
Their Academy manager Dave Currie said:"Both lads have done really well to come through
the trials process and get to this stage. For Josh to be given the Number nine shirt and a place in the final squad is a massive achievement, it is a great honour to play for your country at any level.
"I have to say that, as a proud Scotsman, when Josh plays for England against Scotland it will be the first time in my life that I will be cheering for England.
"This is a great opportunity for him, one which he earned by scoring five goals in the first trial game, four in the second and two in the final trial. It will be a great experience for him."
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