Tottenham starlet Malachi Hardy trained with the England first team today after Lewis Hall missed training with a minor injury.
The 2008-born centre-back is spending this international break with Will Antwi’s Under-19s, but got the call-up to train with the senior team on Wednesday alongside Manchester City’s Kaden Braithwaite after Hall was forced to sit out with what is thought to be a niggling issue.
It is a huge step for Hardy, who is yet to make his first-team debut for Tottenham despite featuring regularly and impressing during pre-season. He has been named in several matchday squads but is yet to make his bow.
Hardy and Braithwaite are not expected to feature for England’s first-team this international break, with their promotion limited to a one-day training brief. He will instead feature for the U19s in coming friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Norway.
Hardy’s Tottenham teammate Archie Gray watched the session from the touchline along with Jobe Bellingham and a number of other England U21 players and coaches.
Watford-born Hardy has represented Spurs since he was just 8 years old and has been a fixture in England’s youth setup for some time, formerly captaining the U17 side.
Roberto De Zerbi’s summer transfer business, which saw him sign three centre-backs in Jean Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo, will limit Hardy’s first-team chances this season, as will Spurs’ early elimination from the Carabao Cup by Liverpool.
Braithwaite, meanwhile, already has three senior Man City appearances under his belt, the most recent of which came in last week’s 5-0 Carabao Cup rout of Norwich City. Standing a formidable 6ft4in tall, the centre-back is a two-time winner of the FA Youth Cup with City.
