ENGLAND’S NEXT GEN ARE READY TO STEP UP

LAUREN Bruton believes the Next Gen squad was the missing piece in the England set-up, and the midfielder is hopeful it can springboard her into contention for senior honours.

The Next Gen group replaced the previous Under-23 side in August, though the squad still compete in Under-23 matches and competitions.

On the heels of an impressive first season in WSL 1 with Reading, Bruton has been a regular in the group, even if she was surprised by her initial call-up.

The latest Next Gen meet-up is a six-day training camp at Warwick University and St George’s Park, which starts today.

The 16 players in the squad will train alongside the England senior team ahead of their match with Netherlands in nine days’ time and Bruton is relishing the opportunity to test herself once again.

“Everyone who has been picked for the Next Gen squad has the potential to push on and play for the seniors,” said the 23-year-old.

“It’s a great stepping stone for me and I love going away to train with England. “You’re playing with the best players and you’re only going to improve because of that. “I think that was what the England set-up was missing. There was always a gap between the Under-23s and the seniors. “People would play for the Under-23s but then maybe not quite be ready for the next step. “It was a surprise when I first got called up a couple of months ago, but the Next Gen squad is a great building block for me to try and push my way into the seniors.” The Next Gen squad is led by Marieanne Spacey, who is also an assistant coach under Mark Sampson for the senior team, something Bruton sees as an advantage. “Marieanne is part of the senior set-up, as well, so she lets Mark know how people are doing and what she thinks,” she added. “Mark comes down to watch us train sometimes, which is great for everyone in the Next Gen squad.” Having been promoted from WSL 2 last season, Reading had a tricky first campaign in the top tier, winning just one game from 16. However, their six draws were enough to ensure they finished second-bottom above Doncaster Rovers Belles and avoided relegation Bruton admits it was a learning curve but says her Next Gen callup demonstrates that she did produce form worthy of recognition. “With it being our first season in WSL 1, I was trying to find my feet playing against some of the top players in England,” she explained. “Being part of the Next Gen squad proves that I’ve been playing well for my club, so now I just need to push on. “It’s a great honour to play for your country and I’m desperate to kick on towards the senior squad.”