PATRICK ROBERTS was snubbed by England Under 21s in favour of a shock call-up to New York City starlet Jack Harrison, manager Aidy Boothroyd has revealed.

Roberts helped Celtic to a terrific Champions League win in Belgium against Anderlecht last week and has been in terrific form for Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles.

He opted to miss a call-up for England for the Under 20s World Cup in South Korea in May in favour of playing for Celtic in their Scottish Cup Final triumph over Aberdeen at Hampden when both tournaments clashed.

Roberts was a surprise omission in the England Under 21s squad, ahead of tonight’s vital Euro 2019 showdown with Scot Gemmill’s Scotland side in Middlesbrough.

And Boothroyd, left, revealed he opted to pick the virtually unknown forward Harrison instead of Roberts, who himself was only a replacement for Sheyi Ojo.

Boothroyd said: “Patrick Roberts is a very good player who has done well and impressed for Celtic in the Champions League last week. But I just looked at Pat and I looked at Jack and thought Jack had probably had a few more games than Patrick has had, who’s in a better place and he deserves a call-up. 

“It will be good to have a look at him and he deserves to be picked.”

Harrison, who plays under former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira as New York boss, paid £1,200 for his flight from New York to England out of his own pocket after missing his original connection for the Scotland game.