Josh eyes Euro glory

CHADDERTON footballer Josh Stachini is set to go up against some of the best young talent on the continent next year.

The 18-year-old left back, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday, is set to be part of the Northern Ireland squad drawn to face the Netherlands in the UEFA European Under-19s Championship, having reached the elite-round stage.

Also on the schedule for Northern Ireland’s young guns in late March are games against Poland and Ukraine, the prize for the top of the group being a place in the summer finals in Germany.

Stachini, who attended Blue Coat School, is a former Manchester City prospect who recently spent 10 days in Russia helping his country get through to this stage of the competition after a mini-tournament. He played in a 2-1 win over Norway in Sochi and went on to gain an assist in a 1-1 draw with Russia in the same city, before losing 2-0 to Slovakia.

The promising defender is a second-year scholar at Hillsborough, having left City at 16, and has appeared in the Owls’ development side.