Adam Armstrong looking to fire England to Euro glory

Fresh from making his Premier League debut, Adam Armstrong is looking to fire England U17s to the European Championship in Malta this summer.

The Newcastle United striker came off the bench to make his senior bow at Fulham last week, and the 17-year-old, who this week penned his first professional contract with the St. James’ Park club, is looking to end an “amazing” few months with helping his country seal a spot at the Euros in May.

Speaking exclusively to TheFA.com from the team hotel in Otrokovice, Armstrong said: “It was a dream come true to make my debut for Newcastle. Hopefully they’ll be plenty more chances to come.

“I’ve been on the bench a few times, and that kind of got my used to it a bit, but I was nervous when I came on. But after I got on I thought I did alright.

“It was a shock, and as we were getting beat, I thought one of the more senior players would get on, so I was really honoured that they trusted and believed in me and I was very proud.

“It did seem to get very quick, and I we were obviously playing direct trying to grab a goal, but I got a few touches and feel confident that I can help the team in the future."

And after achieving one dream of pulling on the black and white shirt for the Magpies, Armstrong is now determined to follow in the footsteps of a famous Geordie striker by producing the goods for his country.

Armstrong said: “Alan Shearer is a big hero of mine and a role model. What he did at the club and for England was amazing and I’d love to be able to achieve something like that in the future. I’ve got a lot of hard work to go but I’m prepared to put everything into it and try and help the team qualify for the tournament in Malta in May.

“Obviously we need to get through this qualifying group first, and that is the main objective of the week, but it would be a dream to play at the Euros.

“And personally, for me, I’d love to get the top scorer in the whole of the tournament come the end.

Armstrong in action for England U17s

“I was top scorer in the competition after the first qualifying round and playing for my country is very big for me. I think it’s important to go right the way through the ranks with England and I always learn something new when I’m away with them.”

Armstrong, who scored six goals during the first round of qualifiers in Armenia in October, is quick to point out that his time away with England has played a big part in his development - and the challenges it brings can only help him further.

He added: “The coaching is different, and I’m picking up new things to improve my game, and it is also important to see what a different coach thinks of your play and how they can help you get better.

“The Premier League, although I only had a little taste, is so fast. They are bigger and better players than I’ve ever faced, but there’s not much difference to playing international football.

“I don’t really know much about the Czech defence that we’ll be up against on Wednesday, but that is where your training comes in. You have to work out early what their strengths and weaknesses are and go off that and adapt your game to get the better of them.

“It’s good to get a mix of different styles of football and it helps me to keep sharp and pushing my game to get where I want to be – the best for my club and country.”