EXCITING Ipswich Town striker Dean Bowditch will be called into the England Under-17 squad looking to win the European Championship in Portugal next month, writes Derek Davis.

EXCITING Ipswich Town striker Dean Bowditch will be called into the England Under-17 squad looking to win the European Championship in Portugal next month, writes Derek Davis.

The 16-year-old Academy player, who made his first-team debut in spectacular fashion at Norwich in March, has been given permission to play for England on the proviso he drops out of the squad should Town reach the play-offs.

England will meet Israel, Italy and Spain in their opening group at the tournament, which runs from May 7-17 and the squad will be officially announced in the next few days.

Bowditch netted two goals for the young England side against the Czech Republic but has not always been released to join the squad due to his first-team duties with Ipswich.

Last summer they won the Nationwide Tournament and in August swept to victory in the Nordic Tournament.

They topped their qualifying group for the European Championships earlier this season and are tipped to go a long way in the finals next month.

Bowditch joins Matt Bloomfield, Chris Hogg and Darren Bent, who are progressing through the England ranks. Hogg is on England duty this week.

Bloomfield will join the Under-19s, who play Germany in a friendly next week, while Bent made his Under-21 debut against Italy recently alongside former team-mate Darren Ambrose.