Former Deal & Betteshanger youngster Danny Herriott’s success with England under-18s has led to him being offered a professional contract with Premiership side Northampton Saints.

The former Kent schoolboy representative, 18, is in the second year as a member of the Saints academy and has impressed for club and country over the past 12 months.

A former Castle Community College pupil, who also played for England under-16s, was first called into the under-18s last August and ended 2010 helping his country to a memorable victory over Ireland in Dublin.

The prop forward then started for England as they thrashed Italy’s under-19 side 64-0 at Sale’s Haywood Road ground at the end of February to continue the side’s superb record of just one defeat in three years.

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He is next in action when England face Scotland at the end of March before a trip to France next month and a tour of Australia in the summer.

Herriott, who began playing rugby at the age of seven, is in the final year of a sports studies course at Moulton College.

He said: "Playing and training with England coaches has helped me to learn a lot and I am confident it will help me eventually break through at Northampton."

He added: "In the first year I expect to go out on loan to someone in National 1 or 2 but hopefully after that I can come back and get in the Northampton second team and take it from there."