Hull City rookie Max Clark has been challenged to use his latest England call-up as another step towards senior football. Having already represented his country at under-16s and under-17s level, Clark teams up with the England under-18s squad for a two-day training camp at St George's Park today.
The 17-year-old defender, a former pupil at Malet Lambert, has already made promising strides this season, flying the nest of City's youth ranks to join Stephen Clemence's development squad on a full-time basis.
Clark's early graduation has seen him play eight times for City's reserves this season, a figure only bettered by fellow academy product Sam Topliss. Clemence is thrilled to see Clark's continued progress rewarded this weekend, but he knows the young left-back must keep on improving.
"It's a great achievement for Max to get called up to the England under-18s for the first time and it helps continue his progress," said Clemence. "We're all really pleased that he's been recognised. Max trains with me in the development squad every day now and done very well.
"He still has a lot to work on and still makes mistakes in pretty much every game he plays, but that's understandable given his age playing against older players. The important thing is that he's willing to learn and he's definitely impressed me.
"We're hoping in the next year or two he can kick on even further but to do that he knows he's got a lot of hard work ahead of him."
Clark is already well-known to England's coaching hierarchy. As well as winning 12 under-16s caps and a further three at under-17s level, he will now rub shoulders with the best of the country's under-18s following a call-up last week.
It is another feather in the cap of City's youth development team, having overseen Clark's progress since the age of nine, and it is hoped the left-back can eventually make a breakthrough into the first-team frame.
Wary of burdening Clark with unrealistic expectations ahead of his 18th birthday in January, Clemence will first allow the youngster to develop away from the spotlight.
"There's little things to work on but the attitude he's got will give him every chance to keep improving," added Clemence, himself a former England under-21s international.
"He's played a lot at centre-back in the past but I'm playing him more at left-back.
"It's a better position for him at the moment, where he gets a little bit more time to see things.
"It'll also give him time to fill out into his body and become a man.
"There's a long way to go. To play in the Premier League you've got to be one of the best players in the world these days. That's the standard you're having to produce and that's tough.
"Someone like Max, in seasons to come the next step will be to maybe go out on loan and see how he performs. When you throw them into first-team football, you soon see if they're ready for the next level."
