FOR a man who has represented his country against the likes of Barcelona’s Bojan and David de Gea, of Manchester United, you would be forgiven for thinking York City striker Ashley Chambers might be a little non-plussed by the prospect of playing the Gibraltar national team.

You would be wrong. Chambers has admitted to The Press that he is just as enthusiastic about his call-up to the England ‘C’ squad this week as he was when he was being selected for Three Lions teams along with fellow former youth internationals Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere.

Leicester-born Chambers has already gained England honours at four different levels from under-16s through to U19s, scoring ten times in 22 appearances.

He was a member of the 2007 U17 World Cup team that reached the quarter-finals of that competition in South Korea and even boasts an international hat-trick to his name, netting three times against the Faroe Islands two years earlier.

Now, though, Chambers is relishing the chance to represent England’s non-League national team in the UK colony just off the Spanish coast.

The friendly clash takes place a week on Tuesday when he might be paired in attack with former Minsterman Adam Boyes, who has starred for Barrow this season.

Chambers said: “It’s obviously great to get the recognition and it gave me the same sense of excitement as I felt when I was being called up by England in the past. It’s nice to know people are taking note of the good things you are doing during a league season.

“It’s the same if you are playing in the Premier League. Players at that level are always hoping the England manager will recognise what they are doing.

“I was aware of the England ‘C’ team when I came to York and I knew that if I played to my ability and scored goals that I could play for my country again. I’ve never been to Gibraltar before so it will be a new experience to go there and taste a different style of football.

“They’re a bit of a footballing minnow but I’m sure it won’t be an easy game. It’s good to go to new countries and see how people live and how the fans watch their football.”

Chambers has previously travelled to France, Belgium and Iceland to play for England but confessed the Korean competition represented his most memorable trip.

“It was brilliant,” he enthused. “Everything was so professional because the tournament shadowed the World Cup format.

“The hospitality and training facilities were first-class and to be involved in something like that and, to get as far as we did, was a great experience that will stay with me throughout my career.”

Manchester United striker Welbeck joined Chambers in the Far East that summer and also shared a pitch for his country with current top-flight prodigies Wilshere, Jack Rodwell, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose.

“I’ve played with quite a few who are making their mark on the Premier League now and it’s great to see,” Chambers added. “I remember going to Belgium with Danny Welbeck and he had just had a growth spurt so was struggling a bit as he tried to get used to how big his body had become.

“But, by the time we met up for the next tournament, he had adapted and he was unbelievable. He had a first-class touch, as well as strength and pace and I’m not surprised he’s gone on to do well.

“I think he deserves to go to the European Championships with England next summer. He’s in a team that won the title last season and has not looked out of place.

“He’s fitted in, scored goals and forged a good partnership with Wayne Rooney, which I think he could take on to the international level.

“I’ve also played against Bojan and David de Gea but probably the best I came up against was Toni Kroos, who played for Germany in the last World Cup and is now a Bayern Munich regular. He was named the best player and was the top scorer at that 2007 U17 World Cup.”

Should he net in Gibraltar, Chambers will have scored for three different England teams and, on his impressive international strike-rate, the 21-year-old attacker added: “The match ball for my hat-trick against the Faroe Islands is in my mum’s trophy cabinet back in Leicester.

“That was a really proud moment and, hopefully, I can put some more match balls alongside it, either from York City or England ‘C’ matches. I hope I can get another international goal but, without sounding too cheesy, just getting on the pitch will be another proud moment.”

Chambers waited nine games for his first goal this season but is now the team’s second highest marksman in 2011/12 with seven.

He also heads the assists table, having set his team-mates up for eight goals.

He said: “I’m really pleased the goals have come.

“I had a really dry patch at the start of the season and was starting to get worried, even though I was still contributing with setting people up and we were winning. We talk about assists a lot too as players and, sometimes, setting up a goal is as important as scoring one yourself.

“If I carry on scoring and assisting at the same ratio, I will be happy come the end of the season.”

Chambers can also lay claim to being top of City’s fair play table – one of four players used by Gary Mills this season not to be cautioned.

While he has been an ever-present in the league, the other three – Liam Henderson, Danny Pilkington and Michael Potts – only boast one Blue Square Bet Premier start between them and Chambers admitted his sporting behaviour could also be attributed to his education at international level.

Having been sent off in arguably the biggest game of his career – the U17 World Cup quarter-final against Germany – he has never been red-carded in domestic football.

“I came on as a sub in that Germany match and the sending-off was late in the game,” recalled the youngest-ever first-team player in Leicester City’s history at the age of 15 years and 203 days.

“We were chasing the match and the ball went through to the ’keeper and, in my anxiety to get it, I fouled him.

“I didn’t really catch him but in international football that kind of thing often gets you a red card.

“It was a real low but I learned from it and have carried that experience into the rest of my career.”

Previous trips with England ‘C’ have left the likes of former City striker Richard Brodie weary on his return but Chambers insists he will be prepared for the two-and-a-half hour coach journey to Barrow on his return, saying: “The England game will give me a bit of a breather from club football but, the way we are playing, you want the games to keep coming and, as soon as the game is over in Gibraltar, I’ll be concentrating on the Barrow match.”

With fellow promotion contenders Luton providing three players for the latest squad and Fleetwood two, Chambers is also hoping that, if selected, he can put on a performance in Gibraltar to convince coach Paul Fairclough that others from Bootham Crescent are worthy for consideration.

Jamal Fyfield and Potts were both named in a previous contigency squad, while Henderson and Pilkington would also be eligible as U23 players.

“I won’t just be representing myself,” Chambers pointed out. “I will be representing York City because I want to show that we have good players at the club.

“I think all the lads who are eligible deserve to be playing for England ‘C’ and, if it wasn’t for my team-mates, I wouldn’t be going to Gibraltar.”

McLaughlin roars to award share

MIDFIELDER Paddy McLaughlin will share The Press Player of the Month for October award with top scorer Jason Walker.

Northern Ireland Under-21 international McLaughlin netted four times himself last month and ensured he finished joint top of the standings with a man-of-the-match display during Saturday’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Wrexham.

Collecting three points as our star man, McLaughlin also claimed the two bonus points on offer towards the monthly standings as the player who received the most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website.

The other players to be rewarded for their efforts at Wrexham were James Meredith (two) and Liam Henderson (one) as our second and third-highest rated performers respectively.

Don’t forget to vote for your City man of the match from today’s game against Wrexham.

By doing so, you could also win the chance to present the November Player of the Month winner with a framed photograph before a City home match.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Walker 28 points, Chambers 11, Meredith 9, Moké 9, Ingham 8, McLaughlin 7, Smith 7, Kerr 6, McGurk 6, Oyebanjo 6, Fyfield 5, Boucaud 4, Blair 4, Challinor 4, Henderson 1.

The October Press Player of the Month final standings: McLaughlin 13, Walker 13, Kerr 7, Meredith 6, Challinor 5, Moké 5, Boucaud 2, Blair 2, Chambers 1, Henderson 1, Smith 1.

Goals: Walker 15, Chambers 7, McLaughlin 6, Reed 3, Blair 2, Moké 2, Boucaud 1, Challinor 1, Fyfield 1, own goal 1, Pilkington 1.

Assists: Chambers 8, Meredith 5, Moké 5, Walker 5, McLaughlin 4, Blair 3, Kerr 2, Potts 2, Challinor 1, Henderson 1, McGurk 1, Oyebanjo 1, Reed 1, Smith 1.

Bad boys: McGurk 6 yellow cards; Blair, Boucaud, Challinor, Kerr, Walker all 3 yellow; Fyfield, McLaughlin, Moké, Parslow, Reed, Smith all 2 yellow; Ingham, Meredith, Oyebanjo all 1 yellow.