Fresh from his full debut for the Exeter City first team, teenage striker Matt Jay will again be looking to impress when the Grecians host Southampton in the Premier League Under-21 Cup at St James' Park tonight.
The 17-year-old was one of the few positives to emerge from the wreckage of last Saturday's disappointing 2-0 League Two home defeat to Southend United, with the second-year scholar's superb form in both training and for the development side the reason for his sudden elevation to the first team.
Jay did not disappoint on what was a tough afternoon for the Grecians against Southend, and his next assignment will be for the Under-21 side who have done so well this season, especially in the inaugural Premier League Cup.
The Grecians thrashed Torquay United 4-1 in the first round which earned them a trip to Crystal Palace. Despite the Eagles naming eight players in their starting line-up with first-team experience, City pulled off a fantastic and richly deserved 3-2 win to set up tonight's clash against Southampton.
"The competition is a great competition and, if you are not quite in the first team, it is really good to get competitive games," Jay said.
"It's a big game for us and Southampton are a good side. It will be a massive test for us, like Crystal Palace was, but we showed what we can do at Crystal Palace. The Under-21 team is strong and I think we can get a result.
"If we work hard and do the basics well, who knows what can happen? It would be nice to get a few people down."
Southampton have earned widespread praise in recent weeks for the way they have developed young players and it is from their Academy that one of England's latest caps, Adam Lallana, graduated.
As well as Lallana, the Saints have several home-grown first-team players such as the highly-rated left-back Luke Shaw and midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
It led Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas to praise the Saints' system for producing star pupils and compared it to Sporting Lisbon, calling it "a great school of development." However, City can rightfully be proud of theirs as well and it is no fluke that their Under-21 side have progressed to the last 32 of this competition.
The majority of City's side is made up of local talent, with only Jordan Tillson, Jimmy Keohane and David Wheeler 'outsiders', while the development side has given the likes of Jay a stage on which to shine. Not that he is taking a place in the team tonight for granted.
"I just take it as it comes. Every game is an opportunity for me and I would like to be playing for the Under-21s on Wednesday. We will wait and see," he said.
"I came up through the Academy and I have been here for a long time, so it was nice to play for the first team.
"You watch week in, week out, and then to finally play is a good feeling.
"I joined the Under-nines and I have had a lot of good coaches that have helped me along the way. They have given me good information and stuff to work on with my game, so I am really grateful for that."
Jay has certainly impressed manager Paul Tisdale this campaign and, in doing so, has become the first player still on the YTS scheme at Exeter to play for the first team.
"It was a great feeling. It is always nice to get your first one, I suppose, it was just a shame about the result," Jay said. "Hopefully I can build on it and get some more appearances, which would be nice.
"I found out on Friday afternoon, the manager announced the team midway through the training session. It was a bit of a shock, but I was happy and it was nice.
"It was a lot more physical and I was a bit tired and my legs were quite sore! It is a big step up, just like it is from the Under-18s to the Under-21s.
"But I am taking it in my stride and enjoying it. You have to because, if you don't, you probably aren't going to play very well. I am enjoying it, of course, but there are things to work on."
