Newport County AFC midfielder Lewys Twamley has been called up to the Wales under-18s squad ahead of their upcoming clash against England.
The 17-year-old will become one of the first players to feature in a Wales under-18s side since October 2000 after it was re-launched to increase playing time for age-group international players.
Twamley's inclusion in the squad comes after an impressive 2020-21 campaign which saw him make his first-team debut for the Exiles in the Papa John's Trophy clash against Cheltenham Town in September.
He came on as a second-half substitute to make his professional bow in place of Ryan Haynes against the Robins before he was given the nod to start against Plymouth Argyle and Norwich City's under-21s side by manager Michael Flynn.
The midfielder has also been a consistent performer for the Exiles' under-18 side this season and helped them on their way to the third round of the Emirates FA Youth Cup against Tottenham Hotspur, who he netted against to give County a shock lead.
The goal against Spurs was also nominated for January’s League Football Education Goal of the Month.
Twamley has scored five goals in his last three games for the academy side, including a hat-trick against AFC Bournemouth in County's last outing to take his tally for the season to 15.
He will be managed by Rob Edwards during his time on international duty, with the clash against England taking place on Monday 29th March at Leckwith Stadium in Cardiff.
Twamley said: "It’s obviously a proud moment for me and my family of course and it's nice to see that the hard work is now paying off.
"It's an honour to get the chance to represent my country for the first time, so I’m looking forward to the experience."
Newport County AFC Academy Manager, Damien Broad, added: "This call up is fantastic news for Lewys, his family and all involved at the club.
"Lewys' work ethic and mindset this season have been key factors in his development, as well as the hard work all the academy staff continue to put in with all the players on a day-to-day basis.
"It's brilliant that the FAW are recognising players who are performing well at our academy and hopefully there will be many more call ups to come, for Lewys and others at the club."
The match against England will be shown live on the FAW Facebook and YouTube channels.