RYAN ALDRIDGE has welcomed the selection of Leeds Knights captain Kieran Brown for the Great Britain squad to contest this month’s World Championships – and backs his top-scoring forward to show what he is fully capable of.

Sheffield Steelers’ duo Robert Dowd and Cole Shudra - who both featured at last year’s Worlds - are also named in the squad which will look to win gold at the Division 1A tournament in Romania.

Bradford-born Brown has shone at NIHL National level for the Knights over the course of the last four seasons, but it is the first time he has been selected for a senior GB World Championship squad.

The 24-year-old is one of three players to be called up for the first time, along with Joe Hazeldine and Logan Neilson.

The mercurial left-hander featured at Under-18 and Under-20 level and was called into the GB men’s training camp two years ago ahead of their Division 1A campaign in Nottingham, which resulted in promotion back to the top tier in 2023, but had to withdraw through injury.

After a fourth straight season which has seen him top over 100 points for the Knights, Aldridge believes Brown’s call-up by head coach Pete Russell is fully justified.

“It’s great to see him picked,” said Aldridgfe, whose team is preparing for the second weekend double-header of the play-offs when they take on Hull Seahawks.

“He’s been the most prolific goalscorer at this level for the last four years - what Kieran can do is no man’s business.

ROMANIA-BOUND: Leeds' Kieran Brown has been picked for the GB World Championship squad. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

“So it’s great for him and we’re obviously very proud of him.

“It’s great recognition for the way that he has developed over the years as a player - 100 per cent.

“And I think for the league, the players that are dropping down now, the ice time that they are getting at our level - they are playing, they are playing on the puck. And that’s the difference, guys in the Elite League that are in the GB line-up are maybe not on the puck that much and I just think when it comes to that competition, I think players at this level might be able to bring something a bit different.”

GB will face hosts Romania, along with Italy, Japan, Poland and Ukraine, from April 27 to May 3.

GB squad – Netminders: Ben Bowns, Lucas Brine, Jackson Whistle. Defencemen: Josh Batch, David Clements, Nathanael Halbert, Joe Hazeldine, Ben O’Connor, Mark Richardson, Josh Tetlow. Forwards: Ollie Betteridge, Kieran Brown, Ben Davies, Robert Dowd, Sam Duggan, Liam Kirk, Robert Lachowicz, Ben Lake, Cade Neilson, Logan Neilson, Brett Perlini, Cole Shudra, Josh Waller.

NextGen: Archie Hazeldine, Jack Hopkins, Jordan Kelsall, Patrick Larkin.

Leeds Knights captain Kieran Brown backed to deliver for GB at World Championships