Wales have handed a first senior call-up to Jayden Lienou, the teenage left-back who has been quietly turning heads at Leeds United. The youngster has been included in the squad for upcoming friendly matches against Ghana and Romania, and honestly, good for him. There is nothing quite like seeing a young player get rewarded for putting the work in.
Lienou is still a teenager, which makes this all the more impressive. Leeds have a decent recent history of bringing young players through and trusting them with real responsibilities, and Lienou fits that mould pretty well. Left-back is also one of those positions where genuine quality is harder to find than people think, so if Wales believe he has something worth developing at senior level, it makes sense to get him involved sooner rather than later.
The friendlies against Ghana and Romania are exactly the kind of games you want for a player in this situation. There is no pressure of a tournament qualifier hanging over everything, which means the manager can actually have a proper look at him without the whole nation going into meltdown if something goes wrong. Wales can afford to be patient and experimental here, and bringing in a teenager with real upside is the smart way to use these fixtures.
It is worth keeping expectations sensible though. A call-up is brilliant, but it is a long road from getting named in a friendly squad to nailing down a regular senior spot. Wales have had their ups and downs in recent years and they are in a bit of a rebuilding phase if we are being honest, so there is a genuine opportunity for hungry young players to stake their claim over the coming months and years.
For Lienou personally, just being around that senior environment will teach him things no training session at club level ever could. Mixing with experienced internationals, learning how a senior camp operates, understanding the standards required — all of that matters enormously for a young player's development even if he does not get a single minute on the pitch.
Wales fans should be excited. A promising teenager getting his shot is always worth celebrating. Let me know your thoughts.