Two Myerscough College football students are celebrating after being called up to the English Schools FA National squad.

Charlie Russell from Blackburn, and Michael Hampson, from Longton, have been named in the party after impressing in trials over the last few months.

They’ll now be part of the ESFA’s U18 squad who will undergo training camps at the National Sport Centre at Lilleshall next month before hopefully playing in the annual Centenary Shield – a schoolboy tournament contested by all of the home nations – in March and April.

This involves games at Wrexham and Bristol City, as well as a trip to Belfast and a game at Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park.

The teenagers join fellow students Joe Noblet and Jack Williams, who are part of the English Colleges squad, in earning international recognition.

It’s the first time that Myerscough College has had four players named in international squads at once. Myerscough are also the only institution to have more than one student selected.

Midfielder Russell and striker Hampson, who are both 17, are currently both studying Level 3 BTECs in Football Studies, while representing the college in a playing capacity in the Category 1 side, who play in the ECFA’s Premier Division.

Myerscough College football development centre manager, Phil Brown, said: “Representing England Schools is an outstanding achievement for Charlie and Michael. They’re the latest in a long line of Myerscough students to be selected’’.

“We pride ourselves in offering all of our football students every opportunity.

“Our courses contain a variety of exit routes across varying levels of the game as it is important we meet the individual needs of our students.

“The students are our focus and being able to offer them different progression opportunities ensures they get to perform as high as they can.”