Non-league football has a long and proud history when it comes to developing players for the England national team set-up and one teenage goalkeeper has gained recognition for his National League performances this season.
Ex-Boreham Wood goalkeeper Finlay Herrick was on loan from West Ham United and helped the Hertfordshire non-league side strengthen their promotion credentials in English football’s fifth tier.
The 19-year-old was unbeaten in his first nine league outings for the Wood before they were defeated by Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers at the end of October. Herrick kept five clean sheets in his ten National League appearances.
Non-league goalkeeper Finlay Herrick called up for England
Herrick joined Lee Carsley and the England Under-21s for their European Championship qualification match against Slovakia in Presov on Tuesday, replacing Shrewsbury Town’s Manchester United loanee Elyh Harrison.
“The 19-year-old shot-stopper, who impressed during his two-and-a-half month loan spell at Boreham Wood in the Enterprise National League earlier this season, replaces Manchester United’s Elyh Harrison, joining fellow goalkeepers Tommy Setford of Arsenal and Stoke City’s Tommy Simkin in the U21s ranks,” confirmed an update from the Hammers.
“Should Herrick feature in England’s qualifier in Presov, Slovakia on Tuesday, it will be the sixth England age group he will have represented, having previously been capped at U16s through U20s.”
Herrick is the fifth goalkeeper selected by Carsley for the current international match window. The initial trio comprised Setford and Leyton Orient loanee Simkin along with Birmingham City’s James Beadle.
Harrison replaced Beadle, who is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, when he returned to the Blues after sustaining an injury before the Under-21s played against the Republic of Ireland at St Andrew’s on Friday.
England took an hour to make the breakthrough in their Group D match but goals from Divin Mubama and Tyrique George delivered a 2-0 win in torrential rain in the West Midlands.
Chelsea forward George was one of many Premier League stars called up by Carsley including full-backs Rico Lewis and Lewis Hall, both of whom have been capped at senior international level.
Herrick is the only member of the squad in Slovakia to have played Premier League 2 or National League football this season.
England Under-21s are second in Group D after four matches and have a game in hand on Tuesday’s hosts.
Following the example of Thomas Tuchel and the senior side, the Under-21s have won all four of their qualifiers to date without conceding a goal and would leapfrog Slovakia with a win.
Tuesday’s Under-21 international between Slovakia and England is a 5.00pm kick-off.
