Jason Gilchrist gets England call
Former Burnley striker Jason Gilchrist has been in such good goalscoring form for Southport in the National League North that he’s won his first call up to the England C squad for their forthcoming friendly against Wales.
England C is the representative team at non-league level and Gilchrist is one of only five players from his league to have been selected in the squad of 16 with the other 11 from the National League.
Gilchrist started the season with FC United of Manchester but his goalscoring exploits were recognised by Southport who paid a club record fee to sign him in November. He’s rewarded them since with 12 goals including two hat tricks.
He was involved with the first team at Burnley but never made a competitive debut. He played in pre-season games in 2014 and 2015, scoring the winning goal at Accrington in 2014 and then suffering a bad injury in Scotland against St. Mirren in the second of those pre-seasons.
He was closest to a Burnley debut in the 2013/14 season at Watford when he was named as a substitute at Watford as we closed in promotion. He was ready to come on with the Clarets trailing 1-0 but Scott Arfield equalised and he wasn’t required.
He was certainly a prolific goalscorer at youth level and that included netting a hat trick in the 3rd round of the FA Youth Cup at Boston in the 2011/12 season as we moved onto the semi-finals, but more memorable was his hat trick at the same stage in the following year when he got three in the 4-3 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Southport reported today: “Jason’s England call up is a just reward for his efforts in a yellow shirt this season and everyone at the club would like to offer their warmest congratulations and best wishes.”
Up the Clarets would like to join them in sending our congratulations to Jason Gilchrist.
The Full Squad
Goalkeepers
James Montgomery (Gateshead)
Grant Smith (Boreham Wood)
Defenders
Louis John (Sutton United)
Daniel Jones (Barrow)
James Jones (Chester)
Sam Ling (Leyton Orient)
Josh Staunton (Woking)
Midfielders
Ryan Croasdale (Kidderminster Harriers)
James Hardy (AFC Fylde)
Jim Kellermann (Aldershot Town)
Rob Ramshaw (Spennymoor Town)
Josh Rees (Bromley)
Tom Walker (Salford City)
Forwards
Jason Gilchrist (Southport)
Dan Maguire (Blyth Spartans)
Fejiri Okenabirhie (Dagenham & Redbridge)
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