Man United youngster Chido Obi has been named in the Denmark Under-21 squad for the first time.
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Chido Obi reacts during Manchester United's FA Cup clash with Fulham at Old Trafford.
Chido Obi has earned his first call-up for Denmark's Under-21s.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images.)
Manchester United striker Chido Obi has earned his first call-up to Denmark's Under-21 squad ahead of their upcoming friendlies against Poland and Italy.
The youngster has enjoyed a sharp rise at Old Trafford in recent weeks, forcing his way into Ruben Amorim's first-team plans. He made his debut as a late substitute in last month's 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
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Obi, 17, joined United from Arsenal last September in a deal that was considered something of a coup for the club after he had scored an eye-catching number of goals in the Gunners' academy.
The Dane made his full debut for United's Under-18s last October and marked the occasion with a hat-trick inside the opening 14 minutes, helping his side seal a 6-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Carrington.
Qualifying to play for both England and Nigeria alongside Denmark, the Scandinavian nation are understandably keen to ensure he commits his international future to them. He has represented them at Under-16s, Under-17s and Under-18s.
He is now set to get the chance to prove his worth with the Under-21s. They face Poland next Thursday (March 20) and Italy the following Monday (March 24).
Denmark officials already find themselves under pressure to award him his senior debut as quickly as possible to ensure he commits his full international career to them. However, Denmark manager Brian Riemer admitted earlier this month that he will not be fast-tracked to the first team.
"Can I start by saying that I really think we're telling a fantastic story here," said Riemer, as quoted by Tipsbladet.
"Think about how many times we've sat with a Danish national team and said: 'We're short of players, when will we get some strikers?'
"We have so many young players, some of them may be just young enough to break through, but it's great that we have so many knocking on the door, I think that's important to say.
"Chido is a player who has played for our Under-18 national team so, if anything, it's gone even stronger, so I think you have to say that in order to follow the right business procedures, we have to make sure we do it the right way."