Sixteen-year-old James Krause, from Clare, is packing his bags for Norway. The Ipswich Town academy left-back has been called up for England Under-17s and will join them for the Nordic Tournament which kicks off in Norway on Tuesday.

Sixteen-year-old James Krause, from Clare, is packing his bags for Norway. The Ipswich Town academy left-back has been called up for England Under-17s and will join them for the Nordic Tournament which kicks off in Norway on Tuesday.

Krause is due to visit Papworth Hospital, Cambridge today for an in-depth medical before joining up with coach John McDermott's 18-man party.

England start with a game against Iceland on Tuesday.

Coach McDermott has picked a completely different squad from that which played in the U17 tournament at Nottingham earlier this month.

He said: "This tournament in Norway and the tournament in Nottingham completes the year-cycle for us."

He added: "What you notice with this age group is that in four or five months they come back different physically and mentally because of their growth spurts."

The Nordic tournament begins with group games against Iceland, Denmark and Norway within four days. Finals day is on Sunday, August 3.

Krause said: "It is a great honour for me, and a bit of a surprise.

"Hopefully this will be the start of more opportunites for me.

"I am really enjoying it at Ipswich. We have just started full-time training now and we are finding it hard work.

"But as we have seen by players like Aidan Collins and Gerard Nash there is the opportunity here for young players to get to the first team and that encourages us."

Unfortunately centre-half Collins, who was also originally called up for the tournament, although a first-year scholar, is too old for this one.

Krause added: "It would have been nice to have had Aidan on this trip with me but I expect I will recognise a few of the others and soon make friends."

Academy recruitment officer Malcolm Moore said: "I first saw James play when I went to Ixworth Middle School to see a West Suffolk under-13s representative game.

"I had gone to watch another player, a striker, but I liked the left-back. The rest is history, he has been with us ever since.

"We are very pleased for him and hope he does well. It is good recognition for the club as well when you seen an international team with Ipswich Town next to the player's name. It is good for the club and the academy."

A mixed group of under-14s and under-15s flew out to Iceland this week to compete in the Rey Cup competition which includes Scandinavian sides and visiting teams from as far as the USA and Nigeria. They are accompanied by academy assistant director Ken Goody and coaches Tony Humes and Richard Hall.

Ian Smith and Malcolm Moore will be taking an U17 team to play their annual pre-season friendly at Southwold tomorrow, kick-off 3pm.

Town will be fielding just an U19 team in the senior academy league this season. They open with an away game at Stoke City on Saturday, August 23 and are home to Bolton Wanderers the following Saturday.