Harvey Barnes: England U21s will help me grow
Harvey Barnes believes the different pace of international football will add another string to his bow for the season ahead.
Barnes made his debut for England under-21s this week in a 2-0 win over Scotland.
He has returned from international duty in shape and will be available for selection at Wigan Athletic this weekend.
The 20-year-old, who is on loan from Leicester, was played back out on the wing by Aidy Boothroyd.
And while he prefers to be picked in a central No.10 position, he believes that diversity and the slower speed of the international game will aid his development.
“I was delighted to get the call-up,” said Barnes. “I felt like I was hitting a good bit of form with my club so I wanted to take that into the under-21 fixtures.
“I think international football is played at a slower tempo than club football.
“It’s about building play and finding the right time to execute things.
“It can definitely help a player develop their game.
“I played a bit out of position, on the wing. I started on the left then switched to the right.
“I enjoyed it but it took a bit of adjusting after playing through the middle for West Brom.
“Darren [Moore] has asked me to play as a ‘number 10’ and I feel most comfortable there.”
Barnes’s safe return from international duty has given Moore a strong squad to play with this weekend.
Matt Phillips is expected to return from injury and Bakary Sako should be up to speed too.
Barnes is grateful for the continued minutes at Albion.
“I didn’t expect to play as much as I have,” he said. “But I believed in myself that when I got my chance I’d take it and hopefully stay in the side.”
Elsewhere, Morgan Rogers capped off a successful international break for Albion’s young guns, scoring again for England U17s in their 3-1 victory over Brazil.
