The England U17 squad includes a player with a non-League club.

England, Germany, Portugal, Romania
The Algarve Tournament
24-27 February 2011
Algarve, Portugal
Click here for fixtures
By David Barber

Luton Town striker Cauley Woodrow has been included in John Peacock’s England U17 squad for the Algarve Tournament later this week. Woodrow could be the first player with a non-League club to play for an England Youth Team since the 1970s.

Woodrow, 16, once scored six goals in an FA Youth Cup match. He was on the bench for Luton’s FA Cup First Round tie at Corby Town in November and made his senior debut for the Conference Premier side in an FA Trophy First Round replay at Welling United a month later. He entered the action in the 68th minute, helping the Hatters to a 2-1 victory.

England Youth team players, at all levels, are usually with Premier League and Championship clubs but Woodrow is bucking the trend. The last non-League player known to have pulled on the famous Three Lions for ‘England Youth’ was Robert Oates in the days when there was only an U18 team. The Leeds-born central defender was a Leeds Ashley Road FC player when he started the match with Northern Ireland at Tranmere Rovers’ ground in 1974.

Oates was quickly snapped up by Scunthorpe United, then in Division Four, and went on to score 15 goals in 306 League starts for the Iron. He later played for Rochdale, scoring once in 42 appearances.

England’s U17s are due to play Romania, Germany and Portugal in the upcoming Tournament. The Luton Town club are obviously delighted with Woodrow’s good news, Youth Development Officer Gregg Broughton commenting on their website:

“It is his reward for his effort and enthusiasm shown in the three years that he has been with us. We believe that Cauley has fantastic ability and are proud that he will be representing Luton Town”.  

Photograph courtesy of Luton Town FC.