 He made his debut for the Wales under-17 side in September 2009, playing in the opening two matches in the qualifying round of the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, a 3–2 win over Iceland and a 2–2 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.Bender was called up for the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Elite Round on 10 March 2010 but withdrew from the squad due to first team commitments with Colchester.Bender was called up by the Wales under-17 side for a friendly tournament in Sweden from 20 – 24 July.