West Ham United fans may get a first look at promising young striker Robert Hall on Friday night when England take on Northern Ireland in Ballymena.
The Under-16 contest is the first game of the 2008 Sky Sports Victory Shield, and will be shown live by the broadcaster from 7.40pm. Still only 14, Hall has been with the club since he was seven and proved to be a prolific goal scorer as he has progressed through the Academy ranks. Hall will be following in the footsteps of other West Ham United products to have featured in the Shield including Trevor Brooking, Joe Cole and current U19 international Jordan Spence.
Academy director Tony Carr said: "Robert follows a long list of young strikers we have produced over the years and we wish him every success in his first international against Northern Ireland. I hope England do well and Robert shows how good he is on the international stage. We have got high hopes for him as a promising young player for the future."
The Victory Shield sees England, winners of the last seven editions and managed by Kenny Swain, take on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a mini-league format with the team who finish top of the group lifting the trophy. England will next be in action against Wales in Llanelli on 31 October before concluding the round-robin tournament on 29 November against Scotland.