Ayoub Assal has been given an opportunity to earn international honours for Morocco after he was called up to a two-week training camp.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder today took part in the first day of training for the Morocco Under-20 national team, offering a chance for Ayoub to make the squad for international matches in the future.
Ayoub, who was born in England but has Moroccan family, was given the green light to travel to Africa after a test for Covid-19 came back negative. On top of the negative test, it was agreed by our club doctor that Ayoub could travel because he’s been training elsewhere on loan and he had not been in contact with our first-team squad. Ayoub was also tested by Morocco’s medical team after arriving and he will be tested again when he returns to these shores.
Our Lead Professional Phase Coach and Loans Manager Mark Robinson, who coached Ayoub during his rise through the academy, said: “What a great opportunity for Ayoub. No doubt there will be many technically excellent players present, so it’s an opportunity for him to show he has something extra. It will also be good for him from a social and psychological perspective that he has to go to a new environment in a different country and perform well enough to stand out amongst top quality players. It’s a positive moment for the work of the academy also with another player being recognised as good enough to be brought into an international training camp. We wish Ayoub all the best and we hope it leads to further games for Morocco Under-20s.”