England's opponents could be left seeing double in the forthcoming qualifying campaign for the European Championship if under-21 star Jermaine Jenas joins Newcastle team-mate Kieron Dyer in the senior squad.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the England international family over the past couple of years is how many under-21 players are being called on to represent their country at senior level.

When David Dunn and Alan Smith played against Portugal on Saturday just two months after the European under-21 championship, they were following in the recent footsteps of World Cup squad members Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Darius Vassell and Wayne Bridge.

It is natural enough to look at who may be next. And certainly teenager Jermaine Jenas did his prospects of joining his lookalike Kieron Dyer in Sven Goran Eriksson's full squad no harm at all with an outstanding midfield display in last Friday night's 1-1 draw against Yugoslavia.

The pair are often mistaken for each other on Tyneside and their playing styles are also remarkably similar, most notably their incredible fitness levels.

"We can definitely work together," says midfielder Jenas, who won special praise from under-21s manager David Platt after setting up Shaun Wright-Phillips' equaliser at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

"When I joined Newcastle last season, even my family remarked on the physical similarities between us. I will sometimes get stopped around Newcastle by people calling out Kieron, and other people will call him Jermaine. 

We are very good mates and Kieron helped me settle in straight away when I moved up. Sometimes I would be at my house and he would give me a ring, check everything was OK and invite me around to his. We are in the Champions League this season and that will be a good test for us. If we can go and do a good job against teams like Juventus, you never know what will happen at international level.

"I have learned a lot by watching Kieron play, all the clever runs he makes. I've got natural fitness and Kieron is exactly the same. I rest in the close-season and he doesn't do practically anything in the summer either - but when he comes back to pre-season training he is flying. We give each other banter, trying to better each other all the time. It helps us during games and can relax the mood."

Platt speaks to Eriksson regularly about who has impressed him at under-21 level and in the past 18 months there has been plenty of proof that Sven listens closely.

Jenas, whose career has taken off since a £5million move to Tyneside from Nottingham Forest, is the one currently catching the eye. Platt, normally cautious about praising individuals, said: "The goal showed his class. He spotted Wright-Phillips out of the corner of his eye and the weight of the pass was perfect."

Coincidentally, Platt was 19-year-old Jenas' first boss at Nottingham Forest. And the youngster now works under the watchful eye of Sir Bobby Robson. "He showed what he thought of me by putting me straight in against Sunderland," says Jenas.

"I have to take things in my stride - this is what I have always wanted to do, just because it has happened a bit quicker at a young age, doesn't mean you're not capable of doing it. I have been pushed at an early age to play first-team football, just because I'm 19 it doesn't make any difference if you are sitting on the bench or playing really. You can't put a limit on what people expect. I want to achieve as much as I can in the game."

Jermaine Jenas was speaking to Joe Bernstein