Burundi-born Newcastle United midfielder Gael Bigirimana has revealed that he hopes to impress for England in the Under-20 World Cup.

Bigirimana said that he wanted to pay the country back for giving him and his family a home after he arrived nine years ago as a refugee.

"I'm still taking each day and each year as it comes so we'll see what happens," he told TheFA.com. "If The FA thinks that I could be in the upcoming group of talent then I would like to play for England because they've been amazing to my family.

"They welcomed us and gave my mum a place to live and to be free. For people like me to have been given an opportunity like this and to achieve a goal and a dream is something amazing.

"So for me to play for England is like being able to say thanks to the country for giving people like me a chance to be free in a country where I was a stranger when I first arrived."

Bigirimana moved to Newcastle from Coventry City in 2012.