A FORMER Newport County AFC academy player is set to take on World Cup winners Germany in a Euro 2016 qualifier next month, writes Andrew Penman.

Jesse Victory has won his first call-up to the Gibraltar national squad as they prepare to face the Germans on June 13 and Croatia in a friendly six days earlier.

The 19-year-old was born in the British Overseas Territory and was snapped up by County on youth terms after impressing in an impromptu trial back in 2010.

The opportunity came about as he was playing with family in a beer garden in Newport when an Exiles youth coach spotted his talent.

Victory was offered the chance to enter trials for the club, which had been going on for several weeks.

And after just three days he was offered youth terms and remained with the club until last summer.

In July 2014 the young attacking midfielder returned home to sign for Gibraltar Premier Division Club Manchester 62 FC.

And his displays for the club formerly known as Manchester United (Gibraltar) and for the national under-19s side have impressed senior Gibraltar head coach David Wilson.

Victory now faces the prospect of playing against the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Rakitic, Mario Gotze and Mesut Ozil.

And he took to Twitter to say he is “Over the moon to get my first senior call up for the Croatia and Germany match!!”

Victory was congratulated by his former Exiles youth teammates Ben Newberry, Jordan Rathbone and Aaron Collins, who is now a full-time professional in Terry Butcher’s squad at Rodney Parade.

Gibraltar are currently bottom of Euro 2016 qualifying group D, behind leaders Poland and Germany, Scotland, Ireland and Georgia.

Their 6-1 defeat to Scotland in March did contain a moment of history, however.

Lee Casciaro scored the first competitive strike for Gibraltar in their tenth official international since they became UEFA members.

Bristol Rovers midfielder Jake Gosling, who recently helped the Pirates to promotion to League Two in the Conference play-off final at Wembley, is also in the squad to take on Croatia and Germany.