Tuesday 19 March 2013 14:39, UK
Preston goalkeeper Declan Rudd hopes his club form can help earn him a place on the plane to the European Under-21 Championships.
The Norwich loanee has played in North End's last seven games and will look to build on his single England Under-21 cap when Stuart Pearce's men take on Romania and Austria in the next eight days. Those friendlies come either side of Preston's clash with Leyton Orient at Deepdale and Rudd, one of four keepers in the Under-21 squad, has asked to return to Lancashire in between the two matches. "England are playing on Thursday against Romania and then Austria next Tuesday," he told the Lancashire Evening Post. "These international games are the last two before the European Championships. "I will ask to come back and play for Preston on Saturday because I'm loving being at the club and playing games. "The way we have been playing as a team recently has made it all the more enjoyable." Rudd will be competing with the likes of Jack Butland, Ben Amos and Jason Steele for a place in the squad to travel to Israel for the tournament in June.