Northern Ireland U21 boss proud of Fleetwood Town's Paddy Lane ahead of international friendly

The Cod army’s starlet has featured regularly for the U21s since breaking into the set-up but this time has been selected for the full international squad due to his fine form in League One this season.

In only his first season at senior level at Highbury, Lane has been nominated for the League One player of the month award and has now been called up for the Northern Ireland squad for friendlies against Luxembourg tonight and Hungary next Tuesday.

Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough called Town’s 21-year-old when he was in the gym, with the former Hyde United man quickly calling his family to tell them the news.

He has five goals and eight assists so far this season, having played on both wings, in the centre of midfield and at wing-back at times under head coach Stephen Crainey.

“I think it is fantastic news,” U21s boss Schofield said. “From a younger age group coach, all the things you say to the young men about performing at their clubs and the way they present themselves when they are in camp... to see three lads go up in one hit, as has happened, is brilliant.

“If you are good enough you will get selected, and it’s not just these three lads who have gone up. We have had lads previously who got promoted to the senior squad, so it is more like a motorway than a pathway.”

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