Wolves defensive midfielder Terry Taylor has been included in the Wales under-21 squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Express & Star reported that the Scotland-born 18-year-old has been named in Paul Bodin’s squad for the game in Wrexham on November 19th and could make his debut for the Welsh underage side, for whom he qualifies through his mother.
The teenager has previously been part of Scotland underage squads, as noted by the Express & Star.
Taylor’s national team call-up comes off the back of his competitive first-team debut for Wolves, having come on as a substitute for the final 19 minutes of their Carabao Cup defeat to Aston Villa last week. [via TransferMarkt]
The 18-year-old was unable to impact the game in that brief spell, not recording any tackles or interceptions, although he was composed in possession with eight successful passes out of 11. [via WhoScored]
He had also featured twice as a substitute for Wolves’ first team during the Premier League Asia Trophy in July, as noted by the Daily Record, so he has been on Nuno Espirito Santo’s radar for senior inclusion in recent months.
However, with the midfielder not being included in a senior matchday squad all season prior to last week’s trip to Villa Park, it seems that the vast majority of his game-time this term will come at under-23 level in competitions such as Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.
There may be the occasional first-team chance between now and May, though – with the FA Cup still to come in January, Nuno could make wholesale changes to his line-up as he has done in the Carabao Cup.
Also, if Wolves can beat Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League this week, they have a very strong chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds with a game to spare, which could offer Taylor the opportunity to feature in their final group match against Besiktas next month.
Taylor’s inclusion in the Wales under-21 squad should be regarded as a positive for Wolves, as it would enable him to feature against international-standard opposition if he gets game-time, which should be another significant step in his development.
If he gets his Wales under-21 debut and performs well, he will likely take massive confidence from that which he could hopefully bring back to club level and keep pushing for occasional first-team recognition over the coming months.
Wolves fans, are you happy to see Taylor being named in Wales’ under-21 squad? Comment below with your views!
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