Drogheda United youngster Emre Topçu has been called up to the Turkish u18 squad.
The Duleek born teenager played for St Kevins academy in his younger days before joining the County Louth side a couple of years ago. Normally operating in midfield, Topçu made his first start with the club in the chastening 6-0 drubbing handed down to Drogheda by Shelbourne a couple of weeks ago.
The Drogs star will link up with the squad in the coming weeks to prepare for their upcoming friendlies with Uzbekistan in Antalya on November 26th and 28th.
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Reacting to the news on Twitter, Drogheda United's official account congratulated the youngster on his achievement.
"Congratulations to Drogheda United midfielder Emre Topçu who has been named in the Türkiye U-18 squad for their upcoming friendlies vs Uzbekistan. The games will take place in Antalya on the 26th & 28th of November," read the post.
The 17-year-old made four senior appearances for the Drogs this season as Kevin Doherty's men comfortably secured another season of top-flight football.
U18 manager Tolunay Kafkas, who earned 39 caps for the Turkish senior side during his playing days, is reported to have been monitoring the youngsters progress for quite some time.
A former Trabzonspor manager, Kafkas is acutely aware of the connection between Drogheda and Turkey. The Drogs enjoy a special relationship with Trabzonspor, and both sets of fans frequently interact with each other on social media.
The clubs share the same colour scheme (Claret and Blue) and both have a star and crescent as part of their club crest. In 2010, Trabzonspor officially named Drogheda United as its 'Sister club.'
While Topçu gets ready to play under a former Trabzonspor level, at Club level, his future lies with Drogheda for the next while, as the youngster has only recently signed a contract tying him down at the club until 2024.
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