LEE FOWLER is looking forward to a possible meeting with his ex-Town teammate Jonathan Stead - on the international stage!

Like the senior sides in the World Cup, Wales and England Under 21s will play each other in the UEFA qualifying competition.

Following Stead's call-up by England for the squad against Holland at Hull's KC Stadium this week, when the Blackburn man set up the winning goal as a substitute, the 20-year-old Fowler is hoping to retain his place when the next Wales squad is announced.

"Hopefully we will be playing against each other in the qualifiers later in the year," said Fowler, one of the few McAlpine players with Premiership experience after breaking through at Coventry City.

"It's great that Steady has been called up by England and he will want to stay in the squad having done so well the other night, although I will have to let him know I'm around if we come up against each other!"

Fowler believes Stead will notice a big leap in class at Under 21 level as well as in the Premiership at Ewood Park.

"Everyone had mixed feelings about Steady leaving the club - players, manager, everybody," said the Welsh midfielder, who hoped to help Town return to top home form against Lincoln today after a four-point away haul at Torquay and Bristol Rovers.

"None of us really wanted to see him go, but then the Premiership is a marvellous opportunity for him and he deserves the chance to do well.

"He has already got a couple of goals for Blackburn which is great and he'll enjoy being involved on the the international scene.

"He will be coming up against lads who have been playing at the top in their own countries and in the Champions League, which is a fantastic standard.

"We got beaten 8-0 by Italy not so long ago at Under 21 and they had a lot of players from the Champions League, so it is a tough level to play, but I'm sure Steady will take everything in his stride."

Fowler is suffering a hernia injury at the moment.