NEIL Dewsnip would not be surprised to see some of his England Under-18s side playing in Bury colours in the near future.

The Young Lions coach, who led the side to a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands at the JD Stadium on Friday night, believes many of his players would benefit from a loan spell lower down the leagues.

The majority of his squad have progressed through the ranks at Premier League clubs but are yet to make their debuts at senior level.

A handful of those, such as captain Ryan Ledson, who is on the fringes of the Everton first-team, will be given a chance to make their breakthrough in the top tier.

But Dewsnip, who worked as a teacher at Broad Oak School in Bury in the early 1980s before going on to manage the Goodison academy, reckons some will have to dip down to clubs like Bury to make a name for themselves.

“I am sure that in the near future some of them will be going out on loan,” he said.

“I guess that’s part of their pathway and I am sure that some of them will soon be playing at grounds not dissimilar to this.

“It’s really important in terms of their individual development.”

Hallam Hope, another Everton academy graduate with England youth experience, enjoyed a successful loan spell at Bury last season, scoring five goals in seven appearances.

Bury boss David Flitcroft said he came within a whisker of bringing the 21-year-old striker back to the JD Stadium this season before Championship side Sheffield Wednesday swooped with the offer of a season-long stay.

Flitcroft and his staff were amongst a host of interested observers in the crowd on Friday night, and Dewsnip said he would be more than happy to see his young players given their big break at Bury.

“I think it is potentially the right pathway,” he said, with his England hat on, eager to see his players evolve into full internationals.

“You get some, such as Wayne Rooney, who went straight into Everton’s first team and then into Manchester United’s first team, but they would be the exceptions I guess.

“We all know that it is so difficult to break into the Premier League – at the big clubs at least - that maybe they are looking at another pathway and that might be Bury Football Club.

“I am sure David was having a good nosey and seeing who he could entice here.

“What is important for us is that they can also go up through our pathway – in the England family – and hopefully progress so they can win a World Cup for us one day.”