"When England take to the pitch against Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday, they will not be the only team of English players on the grass. Dotted around the pitch will be the England Under-15 team who are going to be the ball boys for the game - and the reason they will be there is because of long-term planning by the Football Association (FA)."
"The reason the U15s are being invited to have such a role is so that they can feel part of the England set-up in an international window when they will not be playing a match. They will be strategically put around the pitch close to their actual positions so they can learn from the England senior player who plays in their role."
"In 2019, Dan Ashworth, who was then FA's director of elite development before becoming its chief football officer, said: "Of 75 under-15s on our radar, 55 are eligible for more than one country." It is now thought that around 75% of the players in the England pathway can play for at least two nations as the battle for young talent heats up across club and international level."
The Football Association regularly invites England Under-15s to act as ball boys at senior internationals to strengthen ties between youth players and the senior set-up. The U15s are positioned near the areas matching their playing roles to observe and learn directly from senior internationals. The initiative aims to keep young players engaged during international windows when they are not playing and to reinforce national allegiance amid rising dual-national eligibility. Many senior England players had eligibility for other countries, and recent figures suggest roughly 75% of pathway players can represent at least two nations, increasing competition for young talent.
Read at www.bbc.com
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