JAKE Gallagher and Nick Arnold have been called up to Paul Fairclough’s England C squad for the International Challenge Trophy fixture against Estonia U23s in Tallinn on Tuesday, November 15.

Gallagher is set to win his ninth England C cap, while Arnold wins his first.

Victory in Tallinn will secure England’s qualification from their group, having beaten Ukraine in Kiev but lost to Slovakia’s U21 side at Gander Green Lane.

The match will be played at the Albert Le Coq Arena, the home of the full national team and club side FC Flora, in the Estonian capital. With a capacity of 9,692, it is Estonia’s largest stadium and will also host the 2018 UEFA Super Cup Final between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League finals.

Prior to this fixture, a training camp will be held at the Unversity of Warwick between Sunday, October 30 and Tuesday, November 1.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said full-back Arnold. “I’m buzzing and really looking forward to meeting up with the squad. Playing for your country at any level is an honour and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s fantastic to be seen and spotted, and to hopefully show that my game is improving.

“I didn’t expect it, with me not playing every week, but I’ve been talked about (being called up) before and this is the stage that I want to get to. I came to Aldershot to move to another level, and this was the next step.”

Arnold is grateful to have the squad’s most experienced player, team-mate Gallagher, alongside him. “It’ll be good to have a friendly face with me and you probably couldn’t ask for a nicer geezer, either. He’s a very good player and to play with players like him on such a stage would be a proud moment.

The defender has shown his versatility as much as his quality in the first three months of the season, but he feels there is more to come.

“I think I can still do better and I tell the gaffer that – I don’t think I’ve 100 per cent hit the heights,” he added, having featured more regularly as a left-back than his preferred position.

England C squad: Nick Arnold (Aldershot), Luke Coulson (Eastleigh), Joel Dixon (Barrow), Morgan Ferrier (Boreham Wood), Jake Gallagher (Aldershot), Sam Habergham (Lincoln), James Hardy (AFC Fylde), Oliver Hawkins (Dagenham), Ethan Pinnock (Forest Green), Sean Raggett (Lincoln), Matthew Robinson (Dagenham), Grant Smith (Boreham Wood), Elliot Whitehouse (Nuneaton), Jordan Williams (Barrow), Daniel Wishart (Forest Green), Alex Woodyard (Lincoln).