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Armstrong Named England Under-18 Captain
Written by Newcastle Utd
Adam Armstrong will captain England under-18s when they play two friendly games in Russia next week
By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor
Adam Armstrong has been named England under-18s' captain for next week's friendly double-header in Russia.
The Newcastle United forward - who skippered United against Sunderland and Chelsea during their run to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup in the season just ended - scored twice when he wore the armband for the first time in a 6-1 win over Switzerland in March.
And, with regular captain Ryan Ledson of Everton unavailable due to injury, Young Lions coach Neil Dewsnip has chosen the 18-year-old to lead his side in Moscow on Monday 8th and Wednesday 10th June.
The squad - which also includes Armstrong's Club colleagues Freddie Woodman and Daniel Barlaser - met up in Cobham, Surrey, on Tuesday to begin their preparations.
And Armstrong told TheFA.com: "When you have the armband, it is of course a big responsibility but I have always believed that you should have 11 captains on the pitch - so it that sense it doesn't make too much of a difference.
"It's my first time captaining for a full trip, so of course I'm really proud. I have to admit that when I saw Lego (Ledson) was injured, I was hoping to get it again after wearing it against Switzerland and thankfully Neil has given me it and it's a big boost to me.
"There comes a few different responsibilities with being made captain, such as making sure the lads are all wearing the same gear when we eat and things like that, but it doesn't really bother me. It's something I really enjoy."
Also speaking to TheFA.com, Dewsnip said: "Adam captained the team against Switzerland at Walsall and he handled the responsibility very well. He is well respected by his team-mates and it did not seem to hinder him in any way.
"Being captain for your country can be a real challenge for some people, but he seems to relish it.
"He scored twice last time and performed extremely well - now the challenge for him is to go out and produce the same."
Armstrong missed Newcastle's Barclays Premier League run-in, but was delighted that the Magpies managed to preserve their top-flight status.
"I picked up a little knock and had to miss the last game of the season, which was obviously gutting for me, but I'm ready to go now," he said.
"It was a massive relief that we managed to stay up, and the lads did excellent to defeat West Ham on the last day. Being a fan as well, that's given me a massive buzz coming into this trip."