Solly March

Lewes

March played at Crystal Palace between the ages of 11 and 13 and then switched from Eastbourne Borough to fellow East Sussex club Lewes as a youth player. Lewes were playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division, and the 17-year-old March made his first-team debut on 10 September 2011, coming on in the 86th minute as a substitute in the 4–1 home victory over Aveley, when he was offered a scholarship by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Brighton & Hove Albion

2011–2013: Early days at Brighton

March signed a three-year contract with Brighton in December 2011. At the time of his transfer it was reported by the Brighton Argus that March had also been offered a contract with Millwall and a trial with Newcastle United. Lewes manager Steve King suggested that March had been attracted to Brighton because of the style of football they were playing under manager Gus Poyet and because the move to another East Sussex club would allow him to remain close to his family. While progressing through Brighton's youth squad, March quickly made an impact for the side and scored a hat–trick, in a 3–1 win over Stevenage's youth squad on 18 February 2012. While still a member of Brighton's development squad, 2013 saw the beginning of March's senior career. During the last half of the 2012–13 season, March made the bench for three senior Championship games but did not make an appearance. March impressed in Brighton's youth squad, earning himself the team's Young Player of…

March was named by Gareth Southgate as a forward in the England under-21 squad in May 2014. The squad would play a 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Wales and at least four games at the Toulon Tournament. March had not previously played for England at any level. He made his England under-20 debut when starting in a 3–0 win over Qatar on 22 May. On 27 March 2017, March scored his first international goal in an under-21 friendly against Denmark with a shot from outside the box in a 4–0 away victory.

March originally played on the wing either in midfield or as part of a forward line. Steve King, his former manager at Lewes, described March as a "technically very good" player who "has bags of energy, is a box-to-box player, has a good left foot, a good shot, he sees things early and the weight of his passes is very good." Under Graham Potter as head coach at Brighton, March had predominantly been used as a left wing-back. However, when Roberto De Zerbi succeeded Potter, March began to play a more attacking role, crediting confidence and describing the Italian manager as the best he has played under. March broke his goal scoring record for a single season in De Zerbi's debut campaign.

March was born in Eastbourne, East Sussex. His father, Steve, had been an apprentice footballer at Brighton & Hove Albion in the late 1980s. March attended secondary school at Ringmer Community College and St Bede's School, Eastbourne. Between 2008 and 2012 March played cricket for Hellingly C.C.