By Matthew Jones
October 11 2002

Shola Ameobi, Jermaine Jenas and Titus Bramble have all been called up to the England Under-21's team. Meanwhile, 23 Year-Old teammate Andy Griffin hopes to be selected for the first team. Newcastle United trio; Shola Ameobi, Jermaine Jenas and Titus Bramble will be hoping to impress in the England Under-21s starting line-up on Friday.

Coach David Platt is expected to pick striker Ameobi, midfielder Jenas and central defender Bramble against Slovakia in Bratislava - although none of the three are automatic choices at United.

And Ameobi, for one, knows full well that this is another opportunity to remind Sir Bobby Robson of his talents.

"This reflects very well on the club - it will be fantastic to have all three of us in the team," he said. "Also, the manager will be watching and we want to show him that he can have confidence in us. We want him to know that in the three of us, he has players he can put in without hesitation if things are not going well."

Meanwhile, teammate Andy Griffin is hoping to be called up also. The 23 year old full-back has his sights set on an England call-up after regaining his place in the Magpies line-up.

Griffin, who looked set to quit Newcastle in the summer after finding first-team chances hard to come by, has proved a revelation since a recall to Bobby Robson's side last month.

But the tough-tackling defender insists his ambitions do not end on Tyneside - and he believes he can play his way into the reckoning for the right-back role under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"There are not a lot of natural right-backs in England and it has got to be my aim to challenge for a full cap," said Griffin. "At the moment there are the Neville brothers, Danny Mills and Luke Young at Charlton - who is going to be a very good player. After that, there's me. And if I'm playing at a club like Newcastle United week-in, week-out and we can get into the Champions League every season, then I don't see why I can't push my claims."