JERSEY’S Matt Banahan was invited to take another step forward in his international rugby career yesterday.

The Bath winger, already the owner of Sevens and Saxons (England B) caps, has been asked to attend senior England training in Portugal next week, ahead of the 2009 RBS Six Nations tournament.

The former Jersey Siam Cup player, last year’s Sportingbet CI Sports Personality of the Year and nominated again for 2008, was told to prepare for the England Elite Player Squad training yesterday as the England Saxons training squad was named for next Friday’s B International against Portugal at Edgeley Park.

It was widely expected that Banahan would feature in that fixture, but his promotion to senior squad training is a still clearer yet indication that he is in England manager Martin Johnson’s plans for the future.

• Picture: Jerseyman Matt Banahan on the rampage for England Saxons in the Churchill Cup final against Scotland B last summer