He then progressed to the under-19 squad in November 2008 for the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification match against Albania, making his debut in the 3–0 win in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. He was a mainstay in the team as the squad qualified for the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals in Ukraine, and was named in the squad for the finals of the tournament. He featured heavily in the tournament as England reached the final but were beaten 2–0 by the hosts Ukraine.