Young Guiseley forward Jakub Hebda has been called up to join his Guiseley AFC Academy team strike partner Josh Stones in the England Schoolboys Under-18 squad making it an outstanding double for the club, writes Rachel O’Connor.
It is a rare thing to find two players from the same county never mind the same club in the English Schools’ squad. The pair will feature in the international fixtures which constitute the Centenary Shield which will screened live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport App.
Jakub has been on good form for the Young Lions and he made his first team debut as a substitute at Darlington in November in a game in which Josh made his full debut. In addition, Jakub has been getting experience in men’s football at Hemsworth MW alongside his Academy coach Ben Walker.
Both Jakub and Josh are on international duty this weekend when they face the RAF in the first of a series of friendlies in preparation for the Centenary Shield, in which games will be played against Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The pair have played together since being in Leeds Juniors Under-12s but Stones has only taken up the striker role this season after previously being a midfielder. As a strike duo they have been on fire in Guiseley’s Academy U-19 team with Stones netting 20 goals in 12 games and Hebda 11 goals in 16 games.
Both players excelled in the English Schools FA U-18 trials playing for the North with Hebda unlucky not to make the final cut after playing the full 90 minutes in the final North v South trial. He was however named as first reserve. This week he got the call to step up into the English squad in which Stones will wear the No 9 shirt.
The pair will also be in line to play in friendly games against the Academy sides from Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. They will spend four days training at the FA’s National Football Centre at St George’s Park.
The Centenary Shield games are against Northern Ireland in Belfast on March 25th, against Scotland at Spennymoor on April 1st, against the Republic of Ireland at Eastleigh and against Wales at Briton Ferry on April 14th. All games kick-off at 7pm.
His success this season has now given Josh the hope of becoming a professional footballer and he will get a taste of all of the trappings that come with that when he goes to play for England. He said: “I am looking forward to staying in hotels with the squad, especially for the training camp at St George’s, and I am looking forward to flying to Belfast and hopefully my family, who have always supported me, will be able to be there. Scoring 11 goals in the three trial games has given me great confidence to move forward. I am looking forward to all these new experiences and I want to do my club and my country proud.”
“I have really enjoyed this new role, especially scoring all those goals. I had a knee injury last season and struggled a bit but since Dave pushed me up front everything seems to have gone well. I never thought I would end up as a striker, I was quite happy being a midfielder.”
Jakub paid tribute to the Guiseley Academy coaches Dave Currie and Danny Ellis for progressing their game. Jakub said: “Our coaches Dave and Danny have made me a more positive and more confident player. They have 100 per cent improved my game. When I first joined the Academy I never thought that at 17 I would get a chance in the first team but thanks to our coaches and the first team managers Russ and Marcus I am slowly adapting to first team football.”
Currie commented: “To have one player from Guiseley AFC Youth team in the National team is brilliant, however, getting two players included really is unbelievable. Both players fully deserve it and to see Jakub included is just deserts for his hard work. We are the only club in the country to have two players included. It’s great for the players, their families and the club.
“I’ve joked with him that he needs to change his name to Jacob now he plays for England! He is proud of his Polish roots but Jakub and his Mum, who is his biggest fan, will be super proud to see him pull on the Three Lions shirt.”
Jakub, from Greengates, studied at Immanuel College, Bradford, before joining Guiseley as an Academy scholar and now studies as part of that scheme at Benton Park School, Rawdon. Josh, 18, is from Gildersome and his studies are undertaken at Shipley College.
Jakub commented on the England trials process saying: “I was disappointed not to make the cut the first time around but was named as first reserve. I have now been asked to step up and I hope to do myself justice. I will be very proud to pull the England shirt on although I was born in Poland and my parents are both Polish. I came to live in England at the age of two and all my schooling has been in England.
“I enjoyed the trials as I was playing alongside Josh and it was just like playing one of our Academy games, we both scored plenty of goals in the trials.”
