Lee Jenman has been called up by Young England.

The 16-year-old Southwick club middleweight was invited to join the under-19s squad by ABA director of boxing Ian Irwin, who trains Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison.

Lee, a pupil at Portslade Community College, is on an eight-year programme designed to find future champions and attends his first squad session at Crystal Palace next month.

He said: "I have got a letter from Mr Irwin and I am going to frame it.

"I followed Audley Harrison at the Olympics and it would be a dream come true to do what he did.

"I am flattered to be chosen from all the boys in Sussex. It is great the county is getting some recognition through me."

Jenman was last year's ABA Schoolboy Championship finalist, is four times Sussex Schools champion and twice Southern Area Schools title holder.

He will begin weekend sessions at Crystal Palace with Irwin and work three nights a week at Southwick and aim for an England place in this season's home under-19s internationals.

His trainer Mark Wray said: "It is a real honour for Lee to be part of a programme that could end up with him going to the Olympics.

"The people in charge of amateur boxing in this country have got their house in order.

"The younger they start them in the squad the more time they will have to develop.

"To have the trainer of an Olympic gold medallist around will be a help.

"The ABA will put him through his paces and keep tabs on what he is doing with us."

Wray believes Lee impressed selectors with his victories over national champions.

He said: "Lee has beaten four of them, including Jamie Smith. from Berkshire, and Spencer Thompson, from Surrey.

"It is a real shot in the arm for local boxing because there are fewer clubs and less boxers.

"Very few kids we get in the gym turn out to be boxers.

"It is very tough for us as a club to keep going as we have no sponsors."

Southern Area coach Paddy Harmey recommended Jenman to the ABA.

Harmey, a coach at Crawley, said: "I am delighted Lee has been taken on by England under-19s.

"The age group has produced many good boxers who have turned professional like Richard Woodhall, who won an Olympic silver medal in Seoul, and Naseem Hamed, although he was probably telling the national coaches what to do, rather than the other way round.

"I picked out Lee because he looked a good prospect and I felt the squad would help his development.

"He can certainly try and make the Home Internationals and there are likely to be multi-nation events abroad, possibly in Greece and Estonia.

"Then he can move on to the world junior championships if all goes well and keep going from there. It is a solid path way for him.

"With Ian and his team at Crystal Palace he will have the best trainers in the country and the facilities are fantastic.

"Hopefully Lee can inspire other youngsters because junior boxing in Sussex has been dying on its feet."

His head teacher Mike Tait said: "We are always pleased to celebrate any pupils' achievements.

"He and his cousin Nicky are well known to us in the school as boxers.

"You obviously worry about him getting injured but he works and prepares well and everybody is delighted for him."