Solly March will no doubt view the current international break with more than a hint of frustration, having missed out on England U21 duty through injury.
The livewire midfielder has yet to feature in the Albion first team this season due to a back problem, leaving him unable to build on his opening international appearances made at the Toulon Tournament in France earlier this summer.March featured against Qatar, South Korea and Columbia, and admits it was a proud moment when he pulled on the Three Lions shirt for the first time.
“To play that first match was a real honour,” he told Seagull, the club’s matchday programme, of his debut against the Qataris.
“I found out I would be starting in the meeting on the morning of the game and when my name came up on the board, I was delighted. I had all my family out there watching because my aunt just happened to be on holiday there, so they all stayed with her for the week.
“It was quite nerve racking because it’s your debut and it was on TV, but it probably helped me a bit that it was only in a small stadium with a small crowd.
"The game itself was quite hard to be honest, because Qatar’s sole intention was to get ten men behind the ball but all three games I played provided different types of opponents, and that can only be good for my development, seeing how different cultures play and trying to get the better of them.”
Once fit again, March aims to return to the squad alongside team-mate Jake Forster-Caskey, but he knows he has to perform for the Seagulls to remain in the frame for future internationals.
“That’s the aim, to try and keep my place in the under-21 set-up but I know I can only do that if I’m playing well and playing regularly for Brighton.
"It’s a new start for us all, with the new manager and the new training ground, and hopefully I can impress and do well.”
The full interview with Solly can be found in the Bolton issue of Seagull, which is still available from the Amex Superstore and online, priced £3.50.
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