Steve Bantock wants to follow John Robinson and become a professional with Albion and play for Wales.

Bantock, 14, whose Welsh grandparents lived next door to Robinson in Newhaven, is determined to earn a scholarship deal with the Seagulls next season.

But more immediately, the full-back hopes to secure a place in the Welsh squad to face Scotland and Northern Ireland in a tri-nations under-15 tournament in Belfast next month.

Welsh manager Martin Evans said: "The squad is due to be announced at the end of this week and Steve may well be in it but I think we're looking towards getting him playing against Germany in Cardiff in August.

"He has been with us for development sessions and has looked a nice player. But he is about a year younger than the other boys so by August he will have had more time to develop.

"He is part of our process for getting our under-16s squad to play in the Home Internationals next season."

Bantock, who lives in Hove, qualifies through his mother Angela, who is Welsh.

He said: "I would be really up for playing for Wales. My family would be proud of me. I felt I held my own in sessions I've attended with players from clubs like Manchester United, Spurs, Portsmouth and Liverpool. Hopefully I can be like John Robinson who went on to become a full international and played so well for Albion."

His first priority, though, is to become a professional with the Seagulls. Bantock, a pupil at Blatchington Mill, the school which produced Bradford midfielder Michael Standing, has been at the club since he was nine years old.

He said: "I want to be a professional footballer with Albion more than anything else.

"I've tried to work as hard as I can. It's a fantastic youth set-up with some great coaches, like Gianni Bianci, Jeff Dyson and Martin Hinshelwood. They have really helped me.

"I tried to build myself physically with weights in the gym and by playing against older boys for Sussex under-19s."

Bantock is a dedicated sportsman and also plays cricket, golf, rugby and runs cross country.

He won the Brighton and Hove cross country title two years in succession and played in schoolboy rugby finals at Twickenham.

Bantock and fellow Albion centre of excellence under-15s player Stuart Axten made impressive debuts for Sussex Schools under-19s in the Pakefield Festival in Suffolk.

Sussex lost 3-1 to the West Midlands with Dominic Barnden scoring. But the B team overcame Shropshire B 3-0 with Scott Kirkwood (Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College), Axten (Blatchington Mill) and Nik Chamberlain (Park College, Eastbourne) were on target.

Barnden scored twice as Sussex overcame Lincolnshire 2-0. In a B game, Sussex lost 2-1 to Essex with Tom Smith (BHASVIC) scoring their consolation goal.

The B side were pipped 4-3 by Kent with Mark Probert (Sussex Downs, Lewes), Tom Rowe (Park) and Simon Lewis (Chichester Tech) scoring.

Sussex beat Durham 1-0 with a Mark Zydonik (The Weald, Billingshurst) goal before they overcame national finalists Somerset 2-1, with Neil Watts (Varndean, Brighton) and Chamberlain netting. Sussex B were pipped 2-1 by Herfordshire A, Ben Dartnell (Seaford) scoring.

Manager Ian Hutchings said: "Eight games in three-and-a-half days was demanding but we were entertaining and disciplined and played in the true festival spirit. Steve and Stuart had very promising debuts."

Sussex: Joe Haffenden, Mark Zydonik, John Everest, Dominic Barnden, Tom Smith, Stuart Axten, Michael Duffell, Darran O'Donovan, Neil Watts, Ben Dartnell (captain), Scott Kirkwood, Ben Putland (vice captain), Alex Simpson, Shane Moses, Nik Chamberlain, Matt Eagles, Jordan Leatherdale, Ryan McMillan, Ben Bowra, Kieran Mercer, Simon Lewis, Steven Bantock, Richard Lewis, Mark Probert, Luke Bradbury, Tom Rowe, Dave Becker.