UDA Players Jaxon Hundt and Mikkiel Graham Earn English Universities South Selection

Two UDA players continue to make their mark in England after progressing through the English Universities National Team pathway — and both have now earned selection to the full 25-man national squad for a high-performance training camp at the end of June.

Just prior to Christmas, English universities were invited to nominate a select number of players for the English Universities National Team trials. UDA players Jaxson Hundt and Mikkiel Graham were nominated by University of Gloucestershire Head Coach Ivor Gumm, alongside two UK players from the 1st team. The initial trial took place in Bath for the Southern section, with approximately 50 players in attendance. Both Jaxson and Mikkiel impressed and successfully advanced to the next stage — a friendly fixture at Chichester University. Once again, both players performed strongly, earning selection to represent the English Universities South team in Jersey against Jersey Bulls FC, a Step 4 side.
In a tightly contested match, Jersey Bulls came away with a 2-1 win, despite the Universities side dominating possession for long periods. Mikkiel featured in the first half at centre back, before returning for the final 20 minutes at right full back. Jaxson led the line as a lone striker for 70 minutes, looking composed and comfortable at a very high level.
From there, both players continued to impress — earning spots in the 28-man national team pool and ultimately both making the final 25-man squad selected for the English Universities high-performance training camp at the end of June. Mikkiel and Jax's selection also marks the first time a University of Gloucestershire footballer has achieved national squad selection since 2001 — a milestone that now belongs to two UDA players at once.
Mikkiel reflected on the experience by saying: "I've really enjoyed my experiences with the English Uni South team so far. It's been a great environment with top players throughout the squad, along with a strong level of competition and staff. I'm excited to keep progressing with Jax and see what we can achieve."
Jaxson added: "I have really enjoyed meeting players from other teams, especially those who we have played against. I've loved travelling and bonding with new teammates and playing in different environments — the bonus being that I have gotten to experience all of this with Mikkiel."

UDA's Steve Lilley praised both players for their achievements: "Everyone at UDA and UoG are delighted for Mikkiel and Jax and immensely proud of their achievements to date. The on and off pitch experiences that they have already had are invaluable towards their holistic development, and we hope that the lads' success will inspire others to follow suit in future campaigns."
The progress of Jaxson and Mikkiel is another excellent example of the opportunities available to UDA players in the UK — not only to compete at a high level within university football, but to earn recognition on the national stage.