Saints youngsters make milestone international debuts
Six of Southampton's Academy youngsters made their debuts across various age groups during September’s international break.
Kamari Doyle and Dom Ballard earned their first caps for England's Under-19s after making the step up an age group, featuring in two friendlies at the Oliva Nova Football Centre in Spain.
The talented pair, who have both made the bench in the Championship already this season, first played 66 and 75 minutes respectively in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Germany.
Simon Rusk's Under-19s side responded with a 4-2 win against Switzerland three days later, with Doyle making a 20-minute cameo off the bench.
Ballard, following on from a Premier League 2 Player of the Month nomination and a loan move to Reading, captained the Young Lions and scored his first England goal at Under-19s level after punishing an error from the Swiss goalkeeper in the first half.
Dom Ballard scored his first England Under-19s goal. (Photo: England)
Fellow Under-21s stars Jayden Meghoma and Tyler Dibling, who have both featured for the first team earlier this campaign, were given their first call-ups to represent England's Under-18s in the Tournoi International in France alongside club teammate Sam Amo-Ameyaw.
Saints' Academy pair were on the receiving end of defeats against hosts France, an impressive Japan side, and Portugal in the three-game tournament in Limoges.
Meghoma played 75 minutes in the opening game against France as well as the full 90 minutes against Portugal, whilst Dibling played the final 15 minutes against the hosts and the full match against Japan.
Jayden Meghoma made his England Under-18s debut. (Photo: Istvan Derencsenyi/UEFA)
Elsewhere in the Young Lions camps, Jay Robinson made his Under-17s debut in the Pinatar Arena SuperCup.
The attacker was introduced as a second-half sub against Portugal as England fell to a 3-2 defeat in Spain.
He was then handed another substitute cameo in their second outing, with the 16-year-old playing the final 20 minutes of an impressive 4-1 victory over hosts Spain.
Finally, Joe Andrews made his first appearances for Wales's Under-19s after also making the step up the age groups for a double-header against Finland.
Andrews was given cameos off the bench in each game, which ended in 1-0 victories for both sides at the Jari Litmanen Areena in Eerikkilä.
