Callum Preston will draw on tips taken from England current best two goalkeepers as he prepares to make his Football League debut for Crawley Town.

Preston, 19, will be between the posts as the Reds seek a first home win of the season against Leyton Orient this afternoon.

He made an encouraging debut in Tuesday’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat at home to Southend and keeps his place in the continuing absence of Freddie Woodman, who is away with England under-19s.

But it is England’s two senior keepers who Preston credits on a roll call of mentoring which provides impressive reading.

The Wales under-19 international came through to the ranks to spend one year as a professional with Birmingham City, playing for the development squad last season.

While with Blues, he got to work with some top goalkeepers.

He told The Argus: “During my time I worked with quite a few international goalkeepers like Jack Butland, Joe Hart, Maik Taylor, Colin Doyle, Darren Randolph and Ben Foster was also there when I was there.

“Picking their brains every day was great. Hopefully it will stand me in good stead for the future.

“I signed a one-year pro contract and I was playing for the under-21s. At the back end of last year I went on loan to AFC Telford in the Conference.

“That was good experience and hopefully that stands me in good stead here.”

Preston, who spent time with Liverpool as a junior, joined Crawley in the summer after being released by Birmingham.

Although he played throughout pre-season, he had been on the bench since Crawley brought in Woodman on loan on the eve of the campaign.

He has played a watching brief during a difficult season to date but is confident a young squad can pull clear of relegation trouble – and he hopes to play an active part in that.

Preston, below, said: “If we cut the silly mistakes out we will be okay this season. We are good enough on the pitch and have a good enough squad to stay in this division.

“The little mistakes seem to kill us. When you look at teams like Plymouth, the bigger teams, the teams at the top end of the table, they don’t make those mistakes or they make fewer mistakes that end up in goals. That is what we need to cut out and we will be fine.

“There is competition now in every position and that is what a team needs. The gaffer is building a squad, he is starting to put the foundations there now and hopefully now we can kick on.

“You can only get experience by playing games. It is a young team but there are enough good players around the pitch, enough senior players who help you through the game.

“I don’t want to sit on the bench all season. Freddie drives me on and hopefully I drive Freddie on to get better as well. It is good competition.”

Like those he has worked with in the past and present, Preston has his own international ambitions.

He has so far played once for Wales under-19s, as a substitute in a goalless draw with Montenegro in April 2014.

The following month Preston was placed on standby for the elite round of European qualifiers but he was not called upon.

Now too old for the under-19s, he is still hungry to represent his country but knows he has to take his chances at Crawley to do that.

He said: “Hopefully I can push myself into the Welsh under-21s. I am too old for the under-19s now. That is my aim for the season.

“They have got the European Championships coming up so hopefully I can push myself into that squad but I have got to play here first and that is foremost.”