Stockport County will have pride in what Southampton player did on Sunday | OneFootball

Taylor Harwood-Bellis did his hometown proud in his senior England debut

Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his senior England career.

In the squad for the first time, interim Three Lions boss Lee Carsley opted to throw him into the action just past the hour mark, and the manager’s faith was repaid when Harwood-Bellis notched a goal on his debut.

He has strong family connections to Stockport County, despite never playing for the club, so there is a sense of collective pride in SK3 when he hits a new milestone.

But there are also selfish reasons for Stopfordians to track his progress with a keen eye — with club president Steve Bellis tipping him to pull on a County shirt at some stage in his career.

An incredible England start for Harwood-Bellis

Goals for defenders turning out for England are a relatively rare commodity — just ask Kyle Walker, who’s managed just one in 92 appearances for the Three Lions.

It took Harwood-Bellis just 17 minutes to equal that tally, when he expertly turned home a well-crafted delivery from Jude Bellingham, who has his own unlikely connections to the Hatters.

It was clear to see just how much the goal meant to the defender through his celebration, after spending a substantial amount of time with Carsley in the England youth setups — including being part of his side that lifted the Euros U21 trophy.

Many will recount just how difficult that next step is to make, and Harwood-Bellis will know there’s plenty of work on his hands to hold onto his place amid strong competition, but he looked the part at Wembley Stadium on the night.

County connections will delight Hatters fans

That debut goal, plus remaining a regular starter for Southampton through their rise to the Premier League, equals a monumental start to the 22-year-old’s season.

It’s progress that has been tracked for a long time in County circles, ever since he became a prominent name in Manchester City’s academy system a few years ago.

The defender was born and raised in Stockport and is the nephew of highly-regarded County club president Steve Bellis.

Harwood-Bellis spent his youth career in City’s academy, coming up in an era where County’s survival as a club in the depths of non-league was a live issue, far from having the facilities to take on a talented young player like Harwood-Bellis.

But he has shown his own support for the club where possible, popping up at National League away days with the Hatters.

He even got a County mention in at his recent England press conference, confirming that his dad spent a while dressed as Vernon Bear, the club’s mascot.

In the same press conference, the Saints man also had some strong supporting words for Stockport and the town’s ability to churn out top-level footballers, notably himself, Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo.

His connection to the club and the town makes him a fan favourite at Edgeley Park, despite him never having had a formal link to the club.

One for the future at Edgeley Park

But that’s set to change in the future, if his uncle Steve is to be believed.

During some promotional duties for the Hatters, Bellis revealed that he had had assurances from both his nephew and Edgeley local Foden that they’d both conclude their careers at Edgeley Park.

Despite growing up just a street away, Foden’s connections to the Hatters are not quite as strong, but there is definitely a world where Harwood-Bellis, from a massive County-supporting family, ends up pulling on the royal blue shirt one day.

It means that every step Harwood-Bellis makes in his career is progress that could directly impact an iteration of County in the future, all experience that he can pass on to Edgeley Park players of the future; his exploits for England just another milestone in his rise.

Having a local icon turn out for the team would be an incredible connection for the town and the Hatters' performance but, make no mistake, Harwood-Bellis has plenty to do at the summit of the footballing pyramid before he considers making this Stopfordian dream a reality for fans.

He has no history as a player for County (yet) but his connections to the Hatters mean there was plenty of pride flowing in Stockport when Harwood-Bellis headed home his debut goal at Wembley.