Manchester United youngster Mateo Mejia has been called up into Colombia’s under-20 squad.
This is Mejia’s first call up to the Colombian football set up. The announcement was made by the federation’s social media account.
Mejia, 19, was born in Zaragoza, Spain, but has Colombian citizenship.
Now he looks set to follow Alejandro Garnacho’s footsteps by swapping Spain for a South American country, with his United colleague choosing to represent Argentina earlier this year.
Mejia Mejia called into Colombia under-20 squad
Mateo Mejia has had a troubled spell at Manchester United since joining the club in 2019 from Real Zaragoza.
He has battled serious injury issues which required an operation, and has struggled to get a regular run in the academy sides.
This season he has just two appearances for the under-21s, providing one assist – but has not featured since August.
His one solitary goal for United came for the under-18s back at the start of the 2020 season – although he did net for the under-21s in pre-season.
An international call-up could be what he needs to spark his career into life and give him some confidence away from Carrington.
Another notable name in the Colombia under-20 squad is Chicago Fire striker Jhon Duran, linked by The Sun with a move to Manchester United.
He has already appeared for the Colombia senior team, but with the MLS season currently in a break, he is dropping down a level to continue his development.
South American under-20 championships
The squad has been convened to begin preparations for the South American under-20 championships in 2023.
The tournament is being held in Colombia, in a delayed tournament which was due to be held in 2021 and was postponed due to the pandemic.
Mejia’s Colombia are looking to win the tournament for a first time since 2013
The tournament will take place between January 19 and February 12.