Eddie Nketiah made his debut for the England u21s on Tuesday, in a goalless draw against Mexico in the Toulon Tournament.
Nketiah played out on the left for the match, as opposed to his preferred position up front. That’s been a common feature of his time with the England youth teams, as they have more need for wide players than strikers.
The young Arsenal man forced a save early on, but couldn’t help England make the breakthrough in the end. Nonetheless, the u21 side should still be in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals.
They’re second in the group to Mexico on goal difference, but first in the ranking of second-placed teams at the moment. The top second-placed team advances to the semi-finals along with the three group winners.
It’s no surprise Nketiah’s getting call ups for the top youth side. He showed with his nine goals and one assist in 10 u19 games that he’s too good for the lower levels.
The striker turned 19 on Wednesday, the day after making his u21 debut. If he can nail down a spot in the side at this age, it can’t do his senior chances any harm in the future. Let’s hope he gets his first goals in the remainder of the tournament.