Barcelona scouts were posted to check on Fleetwood Town defender James Hill last month.

Hill, who was handed a first England Under-21 call-up yesterday, is out of contract next summer and attracting interest from Premier League clubs.

But the attendance of Barca represented a shock, with the Spanish giants running the rule over the central defender during Fleetwood's 1-0 defeat by Burton Albion last month.

The Daily Mail says the 19-year-old will join up with Lee Carsley's Under 21s on Monday ahead of a crunch European Championship qualifier against Czech Republic next week.

Hill is the first outfield player from League One given the nod since Charlton's Ezri Konsa - now starring at Aston Villa - was selected for the 2018 Toulon Tournament.