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Malachi Hardy Trains With England Seniors as Tottenham Centre-Back’s Rise Continues
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- Malachi Hardy Trains With England Seniors as Tottenham Centre-Back’s Rise Continues
(Action Images via Reuters)
Tottenham Hotspur academy prospect Malachi Hardy has trained with England 's senior squad during the international break, marking another positive step in the 18-year-old centre-back's quick rise. The impressive centre-back was given a chance to train with the seniors similar to his academy teammate Tye Hall had last season. While Hardy wasn't given a full England call-up, he was named in the Under-19 squad for this period.
Hardy's international opportunity comes during a busy break for England's youth teams. The Tottenham centre-back has been named in the Under-19 squad, while fellow Spurs academy players Oscar Sandiford and Phoenix Offiah will represent England's Under-18s at the UEFA Friendship Cup in Nyon, Switzerland.
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The Under-18s begin against Colombia on Thursday 24 September, then face Egypt on Sunday 27 September and South Korea on Wednesday 30 September. A fourth match, to determine their final tournament placing, follows on Saturday 3 October, with the opponent still to be confirmed. For Sandiford and Offiah, it is another chance to gain international experience as Tottenham's young players continue to earn recognition across the England age groups.
Spurs fans who follow the academy have seen Hardy's progress for a while. Born in Watford, he joined Tottenham at age eight and moved up through the youth teams. He played seven times for the Under-18s as a schoolboy in 2023/24, then joined that group full-time the next summer. 2025. By then, he had made his Under-21 debut, captained England at Under-17 level and been named on the Tottenham first-team bench on 12 occasions that season. Spurs rewarded that progress with a new long-term deal in April 2026.
The club's trust in Hardy shows in the level he's played at. In 2025/26, he mostly played for the Under-21s, even though he could still play for the Under-18s. He also started six of Tottenham's seven UEFA Youth League games.
Internationally, he played for England at the European Under-17 Championship and Under-17 World Cup in 2025, then moved up to the Under-18s and Under-19s.
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Hardy gained more senior experience during Tottenham's 2026 pre-season tour in New Zealand and Australia. Playing with the first team let him test himself at a higher level and showed fans why he is seen as such a promising player. Hardy was among several players fans were excited about after their pre-season performances; Luca Williams-Barnett, Tye Hall and Rio Kyerematen all received praise from Spurs fans.
Training with England's senior players is another great experience for Hardy, but what comes next is even more important. He needs regular games, steady development, and good chances at Tottenham, and he will continue working under Wayne Barnett, Spurs Under-21 manager, but opportunities for senior football in January should be key to his development, training with England's senior squad will certainly put his name on more teams radar.
