Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has earned his first senior international call-up, as Gareth Southgate has included him in the England squad.
Nketiah has started the season superbly, with two goals in his opening three games Premier League games, and his all-round performances have been highly impressive.
The 24-year-old was England’s all-time record goalscorer at under-21 level, with an astonishing 16 strikes in 17 games, but he has been constantly overlooked at senior level until now.
England are set to face Ukraine and Scotland in the upcoming international break, and it remains to be seen if Nketiah will be given a chance on the pitch.
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“It’s an area that we would like to have a look at him. He’s a young player with really good pedigree, a very good finisher and it’s good for him to have some time with us,” Southgate stated of his call-up.
“He’s the record goalscorer with the U21s.
“He’s not had the chance to work with us until this point, but he’s a player that we’re really interested in.”
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Nketiah is finally gaining some recognition
Nketiah is perhaps the most under-appreciated player within the Arsenal squad, and he is now finally being recognised for his top performance levels.
The forward stepped up last season whilst Gabriel Jesus was injured, with a brace against Manchester United the highlight, and he has been constantly improving under Mikel Arteta.
Initially a penalty box poacher when he first broke through, his game is evolving to get more involved in build-up, and he has physically bulked up, which has helped improve his hold-up play.
His performances against Crystal Palace and Fulham saw him win the crucial penalty at Selhurst Park, and he came off the bench to score what should have been a winner as Arsenal conceded late on to draw with Fulham.
This call-up will hopefully give him confidence ahead of this weekend’s game against Man United, where he should return to the starting XI after being surprisingly left out against Fulham.