Will Hughes is hoping he can build on his latest England milestone next year – by representing the Three Lions in front of a home crowd.
The Derby County midfielder scored his first goal for England last month when he netted against San Marino, after making his full Under-21s debut against Scotland earlier in the year.
And with Gareth Southgate’s squad playing their next Euro qualifier on Hughes’ home turf at the Ipro Stadium, he’s hoping to keep himself in the frame for selection and create more memories.
The 18-year-old revealed: “It was a proud moment for me to score against San Marino.
England v Wales
UEFA Euro Qualifier
6pm Wednesday 5 March 2013
Ipro Stadium, Derby County
Live on BT Sport
“My first start meant a lot to me and the next step was to get a goal, so I was delighted when the ball hit the net.
“It’s an achievement no-one can take away from me and hopefully I can remain in the squad moving forwards and enjoy plenty more memorable moments.
“It’s great news that England’s Under-21s will be coming to Derby.”
After first featuring for England at U17 level in February 2012, it’s been a rapid rise through the international ranks for Hughes.
Only nine months later, he was picked for Under-21s duty by then boss Stuart Pearce and went on to make his debut as a substitute against Northern Ireland at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road.
And senior boss Roy Hodgson clearly liked what he saw from the blond-haired playmaker in August as he gave him a full debut in the 6-0 win over Scotland in Sheffield when he took charge of the Under-21s for one game.
Now he has a good chance of running out in an England shirt in front of a home crowd when the Under-21s next take to the field.
Will Hughes scores his first England U21s goal against San Marino.
“I’ve represented the Under 21s at a number of different grounds in the last year or so and it’ll be brilliant for the side to play in Derby,” he added.
"We get great crowds at Derby in the Championship and I hope our fans and the local community will show their support and come to the game.
“We’ve made a great start to our qualification campaign and it’s brilliant that the Derby supporters can help play a part in supporting the team for a big game against Wales.”
It is the first time that an England game has been hosted at Derby since 2007 when the Under-21s drew 2-2 with Spain.
And with former England boss Steve McClaren now over-seeing Derby’s promotion charge in the Championship, Hughes is hoping to still be impressing Southgate with his form at club level.
“It’ll be a great experience for myself, if selected, to play for the Under-21s at my home ground,” he added.
England U21s 9-0 San Marino
“But before I think about that I’ve got to make sure I perform for Derby to make sure I’m in the squad.
“It’s also a great opportunity for the club to stage an event like this; we certainly have the facilities to do so.”
Tickets for the game will go on sale from 9am on Tuesday 3 December 2013, priced at just £10 for adults and £5 for U18s. These can be purchased in person from the Digonex Ticket Office, by calling 0871 472 1884 (option 1) or by visiting WeAreDerby.com.
Click here for Charter Standard booking form.
Click here for Group Booking form.
