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Gareth Fullerton

Shrewsbury Town teenager ready to seize his opportunity with Northern Ireland

Shrewsbury Town defender Callum Wilson insists he is ready to seize his opportunity when he joins up with Northern Ireland's Under 19 squad next week.

The young side are preparing to travel to Spain for the Football Federations Cup where they will play games against Norway, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Manager Gerard Lyttle has called up a number of new faces for the tournament in Albir, which is actually classified as an Under 18 competition.

Read more: Caolan Boyd-Munce 'over the moon' to receive senior Northern Ireland call-up

All of Lyttle's players fall under that category and will travel to Spain on Monday ahead of their first game against Norway next Wednesday at L’Alfas del Pi in the province of Alicante.

Shewsbury Town Under 18 right-back Wilson is one of the new faces preparing for the trip.

And he said he is relishing the chance to take on some of Europe's best young players.

Callum Wilson (left) in action for Shrewsbury Town (Getty)

He told Shewsbury's website : "I’m really excited to get the opportunity to represent the national team.

"I’ve worked hard to get to this point but I’m obviously a bit nervous about it because I’ll be playing against the best players in their nations, but I’m excited to take the opportunity. It’s my first time ever getting a call-up so I’m looking forward to it.

“I think it’ll be tough but I think it’ll be a good challenge. I think it’ll be like when I was playing for a Category 1 academy a couple of years ago: playing all the best players.

"I’ve got that experience so I know I can play at that level; I just need to show it.

“I don’t know any of the others who have been called up. I’ve only been up there a couple of times since Tom Flanagan joined but I’ve spoken to Josh Daniels about it before because he played for their younger age groups and he said it was a really good experience and if you get the opportunity you should take it as soon as you can."

Wilson has enjoyed a positive season so far with Shewsbury.

He has mainly been featuring for the club's Under 18s but has also played in the Papa John's Trophy and been on the first-team bench in the FA Cup.

Wilson added: “I have seen scouts around and they like the look of me and they’ve seen clips of me that they got through one of my representatives but I think it was more my experience with the first team that got me this call-up.

“I hope to win the tournament. That’s what I’m going there for but hopefully, I'll get some caps and some experience.

"I’m happy to be there but once I’m there I want to push on and show what I can do and give a good account of the academy as well.”

Northern Ireland squad for Football Federations Cup in Spain

Goalkeepers: Dylan Graham (Everton), Stephen McMullan (Warrenpoint Town).

Defenders: Ruairi McConville (Brighton and Hove Albion), Michael Forbes (West Ham United), Darragh McCloskey (Derry City), Bobby Deane (Lincoln City), Matthew Carson (Southampton), Reece Jordan (Portadown), Brodie Spencer (Huddersfield Town), Callum Wilson (Shrewsbury Town), Tommy Fogarty (Birmingham City).

Midfielders: Charlie Lindsay (Rangers), Jamie McDonnell (Nottingham Forest), Darren Robinson (Derby County), Aaron Wightman (Glentoran).

Forwards: Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa), Callum Marshall (West Ham United), Conor Scannell (Glenavon), Mackenzie Kirk (Hearts), Patrick Kelly (Coleraine), Connor Falls (Huddersfield Town), Reece Evans (Leicester City).

Read more: Norther n Ireland call-up a shock and a "dream" for Sunderland teenager Trai Hume

Read more: Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough probed on Glentoran star's absence from squad

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