Former Christleton High School pupil Russell Griffiths has set his sights on becoming England’s number one.

The young goalkeeper, who signed his first professional contract with Premier League Everton in the summer, was called up to the England U19s squad for their recent match with Italy and now wants more of the big time, aiming to be England number one as well as to hopefully win a major tournament.

“Joining up with England under 19s was great,” says Russell, who was an unused substitute in the 3-0 win over the Italians at Rotherham.

“It can help your development in many ways. You have eyes on you at every angle when representing your country.

“Being away with England was a great experience. St George’s Park is a fantastic facility and being in the senior team environment is unbelievable.

“You can also find yourself in a team of new players which is good as each individual brings their own qualities.”

Russell has been at Everton since he was 14 and was part of the team which won last season’s Barclays Premier League U18s final.

“Signing my first professional contract was a proud moment, it’s something I’ve worked so hard for during your years in the academy and for it to pay off is a really great feeling,” he says.

Being at Everton has allowed Russell to work with top keepers such as USA international Tim Howard, who has had an outstanding career, performing at two World Cups and winning both domestic cup competitions while at Manchester United.

“Training with the first team and being around players such as Tim Howard is amazing.

“You are constantly learning from watching them and when training, they can really help you a lot.

“Training well with the first team and being praised by the players can give you a real boost in confidence,” said the Chester-born starlet.

“The team atmosphere is always good so you get a real buzz around the training ground."

But he admits that breaking through as a young goalkeeper can sometimes be a struggle.

“It’s very difficult for a young goalkeeper to break through to a Premier League first team. It is very rare you see it. No matter how good you are, the older goalkeepers have the experience that the younger ones don’t.

“This is why you get young goalkeepers looking to go out on loan and gradually working their way up the league gaining more and more experience.”

Russell also admits he found leaving home at such a young age a bit of a wrench.

“Moving away from home at such a young age was very hard. But in doing so it makes you mature very quickly. Not just as a footballer but as a person.

“Going into a full time job at the age of 16 was a real eye opener. Especially being a footballer as it’s what I love doing”.