Player of Maltese origin in England Under-17 team

When the England Under-17 team recently competed in the elite round of the UEFA Championship 2011, they had in their ranks a centre-back of Maltese descent, Samuel Magri, who is a prominent member of the Portsmouth FC Academy, headed by Andy Awford.

Magri has been in the England squad for the past 18 months, making a name for himself as a very reliable defender. He helped his team to qualify for the finals of the category championship which is currently being played in Serbia with victories over Northern Ireland, 3-2, Belgium, 2-1 and Spain, 2-1.

England, last year’s holders, were eliminated in this year’s finals where Magri was also a key member of the team.

Commenting on Magri’s sound displays for his country and club, the Portsmouth Youth Academy boss said that the player has been impressive when playing against such quality opposition in the run-up to the final tournament in Serbia, as well as the finals.

Awford added that Magri’s skills are bound to develop further and this is also evident in his improvement when playing for his club.