Barrow goalkeeping ace Curtis wants to be England's number one

The Barrow stopper has been included in the national under-16s squad to travel to Florida for a four-team tournament next month.

England will face host the USA, Brazil and the Netherlands in the Nike International Tournament Cup after spending the week prior to the tournament in a training camp.

Having impressed for Manchester City this season, Anderson now wants to make his mark with England and show he is the best keeper for his age in the land.

“I’m sure I’ll play in at least one of the games,” said the former Crooklands Casuals junior. “There are only two keepers going away – myself and another lad who I know (Brighton and Hove Albion’s Thomas McGill).

“As it’s my first time away, I should at least get one game, but I’m hoping to impress in that game so that I get picked again as number one.

“I’m not saying that I’m not number one now, I just hope I impress and I’m good enough to be called back again.

“They can pick whoever they want as the the number two, it doesn’t really bother me.”

Anderson’s selection for the tournament in Florida comes after a year of frustration internationally.

He has been called up several times for training camps over the past 12 months, but a combination of injuries and club commitments have prevented him from taking part.

That has restricted his opportunities to see game-time with England, but now he has his foot in the door he has no intention of letting the chance escape him.

“When I got my first training call-up last year, I broke my finger so I couldn’t go,” said the former Yarlside School pupil, who has been on City’s books since being signed for a reported £15,000 fee from Blackpool four years ago.

“Ever since then, every time there were games, I didn’t get picked and I got really frustrated by it.

“I got to the point where I stopped being bothered and I stopped looking at who was getting picked, because I knew I hadn’t. It annoyed me so much and I tried not to think about it.

“Then I was invited to another training camp, but I couldn’t go to that one because I had a cup game with City, and then another one, and I did my thumb that time.

“I’ve been invited to about five training camps and I’ve only been to two in the end. I think that’s one of the reasons I haven’t been picked for the team sooner. Now I’ve got my chance, I’m going to do my best to impress with the opportunity I’ve got in Florida.”

Should Anderson make his England debut in Florida, he would become the second Furness player to be part of the current national set-up.

Another Manchester City player, Georgia Stanway, is captain of the England Women’s Under-17s side and a regular goal-scorer internationally.

The pair speak regularly and it is at City that Anderson feels he has made the impact which has earned him the chance to join Stanway in pulling on the England shirt.

He added: “It was a bit of a surprise, because I haven’t really been involved with any of the other games, I’ve just been going to the training camps.

“I expected I would just be taking part in training rather than the games, so I was really happy.

“I think it’s because I’ve been playing up for City. I’ve been playing for the year up at City every week.

“I’ve been playing up and I’ve been playing well regularly. I’m the regular first-choice with the under-16s now.

“We had a Premier League tournament a couple of weeks ago and we rotated games for that. The other keeper played one and I played one.

“Then the week after, I started against Newcastle for the first time and after that he was injured again, so I am regularly playing as first-choice now.

“I reckon that won’t change now as long as I keep playing well and working hard.

“I went to Seville with the under-19s as well. Getting a chance to go away with Vieira was very good and travelling with the first team on the plane.

“We played our game and then we went to watch the first team, it was a very good experience.”

He added: “I feel like I have been doing well. I’ve played 16 games this season and I’ve kept 10 clean sheets.

“I’ve got it all on my phone – all the fixtures and the results. I keep track of how many goals I’ve conceded and how many clean sheets I’ve had.

“I have a goal for the season of how many clean sheets I want to keep.”

Anderson will now turn his attention to England duties as well as those at the City of Manchester Stadium.

There are two more tournaments after Christmas to follow the trip to Florida and he he is hopeful about what the future will bring.

“It will be decent being part of the England squad, going through the airport with the England tracksuit on,” he said.

“It’s what I’ve been aiming for since I started playing football when I was five.

“In the next year, I want to make sure I get the number one shirt for England and the scholarship with City.”