FIFTEEN-year-old schoolboy Byron Lawrence could become Ipswich Town’s youngest ever first team player at Portman Road tonight.

The diminutive midfielder is believed to be a surprise inclusion in Paul Jewell’s 18-man squad for the Carling Cup first round visit of League Two side Northampton Town.

Should he get any time on the pitch, he would easily become the club’s youngest ever player – beating Connor Wickham’s first team bow aged 16 years and 11 days.

Lawrence caught the eye in Ipswich’s annual Under-15 Academy match against Manchester United at the end of May and was also with the Blues’ U15s at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland recently.

Jewell has already confirmed that 18-year-old American keeper Cody Cropper will be on the bench tonight. Arran Lee-Barrett will start in goal as first choice David Stockdale is unavailable.

England’s friendly against Holland at Wembley tomorrow night may have been cancelled due to the London riots, but Stockdale – who was in Fabio Capello’s squad – cannot play for Ipswich anyway due to the terms of his loan from Fulham. The Premier League club hold a 24-hour recall option on their player and don’t want him cup-tied.