Huddersfield Giants youth product Matty English is hoping 2017 will the year he makes an impact.

The England youth and Under 21 international has been handed the No29 shirt – his first senior squad number – for the coming Super League campaign.

The 19-year-old, who was in the 24-man England Academy squad that toured Australia led by Giants’ Head of Youth Andy Kelly, has come up through the ranks at Huddersfield and will hope to be given a chance this year to make his Super League debut under head coach Rick Stone .

Andy Kelly

“I’m loving it, it has been quite a tough pre-season and Rick is asking a lot from us,” said English.

“But I feel like it’s going well and hopefully I’m improving my skills as well.

“Going from Scholarship to Academy is a step up and then you think you are getting somewhere and then you have to find your feet again.

“Then you train a few training runs with the first team and you hope that will go somewhere.

“But then when Rick told us we were going to do pre-season it was quite surreal and then I got my squad number and I was delighted.

“It is a step-up for me but I’m enjoying every minute.”

Matty English

While the young prop forward knows the club and the players around him well, he still feels he is making a substantial step forward.

“The intensity is so much more but I’m enjoying the schedule and being around all the big names,” he explained.

“It is quite surreal sometimes when you’re sat in the changing room and you’ve got international players like Leroy (Cudjoe) and Jerry (McGillvary) around you, but I am enjoying it.

“The senior lads have been really helpful for me. I travel in with Dan (Smith), so he has been helpful and Aaron Murphy has been a big laugh to be around in training, but you just get to see a different side to all of them.”

Huddersfield Giants' Daniel Smith

And some of it is still needing some taking in for English.

“I was sat there in the room and Rick said he had the squad numbers and I thought this wouldn’t apply to me,” he added.

“Then he got to 28 and said Jake Wardle and then he got to 29 it was my name – and I thought ‘wow where has that come from?’ I was shocked but delighted.

“I had some good rugby last year, with going on the Australia tour and hopefully this year can be another big year for me.

“I was speaking to Rick and he said he would give me a chance and I just have to take it when it comes along.

“Hopefully I will get to play a few games on loan at Oldham and find my feet at a Championship side and then hopefully make my debut for the club which would be class.”

Huddersfield Giants Legends annual general meeting will be held at Marsh Liberal Club, New Hey Road, on Monday (8pm).

Anyone wishing to become an elected official should contact David Jakeman on 01484-981784 ahead of the meeting.