Myler handed England call

Salford starlet joins train-on squad

Last updated: 6th October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Myler handed England call

Smith: Surprise inclusion

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Salford's teenage sensation Richard Myler has earned a dramatic call-up to England's World Cup train-on squad.

The 18-year-old scrum-half, who has just been named National League One young player of the year, is the only player outside the Super League chosen in England coach Tony Smith's national squad.

Myler, who joined Salford a year ago from Widnes, was told the news after helping the Reds clinch a 36-18 National League Grand Final win over Celtic Crusaders with the 10th and final try of the match.

He is unlikely to make the final 24-man World Cup squad, to be named by Smith on October 7, but his call-up for the initial party is seen as the first step on the international ladder for a player long since identified as a star of the future.

Myler is almost certain to play for England in their World Cup warm-up match against Wales at Doncaster on October 10, with first choice scrum-half Rob Burrow, from Grand Finalists Leeds, likely to be rested.

Raynor injury

Meanwhile, winger Mark Calderwood is one of four Wigan players added to the train-on squad, despite having been earlier called up by Scotland.

The 26-year-old Calderwood qualifies for the Scots through a grandparent but played for England in the 2006 Federation Shield and could get his World Cup chance because of injury to Hull winger Gareth Raynor.

Scotland must now wait to see if he makes Smith's final cut.

Calderwood, who is joining Hull for the 2009 season, scored 88 tries from 126 appearances in five seasons for Leeds before moving to Wigan two years ago.

There is a widely-expected recall for prop Stuart Fielden, a previous Great Britain regular whose form dipped so badly that he was left out of the squad for last year's Test series against New Zealand.

Second-rower Gareth Hock and hooker Mickey Higham are the other Wigan players added to a 22-man squad, which will be supplemented by players from St Helens and Leeds after the Grand Final.

Updated train-on squad (players from Leeds and St Helens to be added):

Aspinwall (Huddersfield), Atkins (Wakefield), Briscoe (Hull KR), Calderwood (Wigan), Carvell (Hull), Clubb (Harlequins), Fielden (Wigan), Fox (Hull KR), Gleeson (Warrington), Griffin (Huddersfield), Higham (Wigan), Hock (Wigan), Hodgson (Huddersfield), Langley (Bradford), Myler (Salford), Purdham (Harlequins), Morley (Warrington), McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Harlequins), Shenton (Castleford), Sykes (Bradford), Westerman (Castleford), Westwood (Warrington).