Since his arrival at Plainmoor in the summer, Matt Carson has impressed for Paul Wotton’s promotion-chasing side, earning a call-up to Northern Ireland Under-21s. The former Southampton defender added to his previous caps at Under-16, Under-18, and Under-19 levels by making his Under-21 debut in a 1-1 draw against Moldova at the Cornelia Sport Centre in Belek.

Carson played a key role in helping his team come from behind to secure a draw in their opening match of a four-team mini-tournament. He will now look to build on this performance when Northern Ireland Under-21s face Ukraine Under-20s tomorrow, before concluding the tournament with a fixture against Uzbekistan Under-21s next Tuesday.

These matches form part of Northern Ireland’s preparations for their 2025-27 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign, which begins in September with an away match against Georgia. They will compete in Group F, alongside Germany, Greece, Latvia, and Malta.

Everyone at Torquay United would like to congratulate Matt on this fantastic achievement, and we wish him the very best for the remaining fixtures.