Academy striker Gunner Elliott has been called-up to Malta’s provisional 35-man squad for their June FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Malta will host Lithuania on Saturday, June 7, before travelling to Groningen to play the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 10.
The young forward has had an exceptional season with the young Spireites, scoring 14 goals along the way.
He also became Chesterfield’s second-youngest player in history with his substitute appearance against Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day.
At the age of 16, Elliott would become Malta’s youngest-ever player to appear in a senior international fixture, should he appear in either game.
Head coach Emilio De Leo has allowed space in his squad for youngsters to experience further development and has included Elliott and Ipswich Town’s Joshua Pitts.
De Leo took charge of the national team in January and has had stints as a first-team coach at Serie A sides Sampdoria, AC Milan, Torino and Bologna.
The squad includes England-based players such as Jodi Jones (Notts County), James Carragher (Wigan Athletic) and Basel Tuma (Reading).
Academy coach Haydn Hollis expressed his delight at the news and praised Elliott for the hard work he has put in during this campaign.
He said: “We’re so happy for Gunner; he is a fantastic player, and he has earned this opportunity to be included the squad.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to continue to develop and learn from the top level.”
