TWO Jerseyborn footballers are playing for Southampton today in an FA Premiership Youth Academy under-17 match away to Reading.

Regular Joel Speight, who has been offered a full-time contact with the Premiership club, is being accompanied on the pitch today by his First Tower United and Jersey under-18 team-mate, goalkeeper Jack Jouanny.Young Jouanny received a telephone call out of the blue in midweek to play and the youngster’s father, Mike – Jersey’s under-16 team manager – says Southampton have honoured what they told him just over a year ago.Jouanny snr said: ‘Jack had a week’s assessment at Southampton last season and club officials said they would monitor his progress.

They have stuck to their word and I think that’s fantastic.

Jack is really looking forward to the game.”This opportunity has come about because Scotland have called up Saints’ regular keeper on international duty.’Seventeen-year-old Jouanny, like Speight, has come through the JFA’s Lloyds TSB-sponsored School of Excellence.

He was the recipient of the Sid Guy Memorial Award three years ago, the award, sponsored by Channel Television, is given to a youngster at the school who is deemed the most promising.Jouanny has represented Jersey at primary school level and at under-16s and the former Les Quennevais School pupil has also played for Tower’s first and second teams in the flybe.

Combination.Young Jouanny continues to work hard at his game.

His attitude is very good and his handling and command of the penalty area continue to improve.He is number two in the Island’s under-18 squad although he is a year young for the age group.