Cardiff City's record-breaking 15-year-old defender Noah Anyadike has earned his first Wales Under-21 call-up. The teenager is part of a 23-player squad named for the 2027 European Championship qualifiers against Belgium and Austria next week.
Anyadike made history in August by becoming the youngest player to ever feature in the EFL Cup, appearing in Cardiff's second-round defeat by Norwich City. He has since been an unused substitute for the first team in three Championship matches, with the side currently 21st in the table on just four points from seven games. Their recent form shows no wins in five, a run that includes last week's 1-0 loss at Bolton. The team's next fixture is a home match against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, 28 September.
Squad details
Manager Matty Jones has selected a mix of senior internationals and new faces for the double-header. Alongside Anyadike, Manchester United's Reece Munro receives his first call-up at this level after signing his first professional deal at Old Trafford last year. Senior squad members Charlie Crew, Kai Andrews and Ronan Kpakio are also included.
The young Dragons are fourth in Group I with two wins from six matches. They produced a standout result last time out, beating second-placed Austria 2-0 with goals from Gabriele Biancheri and Chris Popov. They face Belgium in Westerlo on Tuesday, 29 September before hosting Austria at the Oval in Caernarfon on Tuesday, 6 October.
Jones pointed to the continued development of players despite inconsistent results at this level. "'Wales U21s producing players despite poor results'," the manager said. He highlighted the team's goal of accumulating 180 minutes of competitive action for the squad across the two qualifiers, a key target for player development.
Cardiff contingent
Anyadike is one of four Cardiff players selected. First-team squad member Dakarai Mafico is included, alongside Robert Tankiewicz and Ronan Kpakio. Forward Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, currently on loan at Newport County, is also in the group. Luke Armstrong, another Cardiff player out on loan at Raith Rovers, misses out.
For the senior Cardiff side, attention now turns to halting their poor league form. The squad is currently without several key players including Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies, whose absence is detailed on the injuries list.
