Will Packwood is delighted he is in Nigeria with the USA U17 team for the World Cup.

The Boston-born midfielder has experienced a different path into the game as most Americans his age do but now it is all beginning to work out and he couldn't be happier.

Packwood managed to secure a trial with English Premier League club Birmingham City after a standout youth career in Boston and was successful in gaining an invitation to the Blues' youth academy.

Now he finds himself on international duty in Africa after initially missing out on the squad.

"I was with the team for a couple of days right before the qualifying tournament in April," said Packwood.

"I wasn't selected, so I went back to England and kept training. I had another chance during the team's camp in England and I was able to just drive down there and train with them for about 10 days."

He said the move to Birmingham and boarding school wasn't as bad as he first thought it would be.

"For me, the transition was actually fine," added the American midfielder. "It was a boarding school so it was pretty easy to make friends with the people I live with there. And I see my parents once every six weeks or so anyway, so it's not much time between visits."

He also added that the English club were happy for him to go to Nigeria to represent his country.

"Birmingham was happy for me actually. It's good for them to have a player in the World Cup," the midfielder added. "It's positive for them and it's a great experience for me so, they were very supportive. They were all for it."

Packwood will return to England after the U17 World Cup and look to develop his game further with the Blue's youth academy.