Manchester United youngster Zidane Iqbal has been photographed with PSG superstar Neymar at a Puma publicity event in Paris.
The sportswear brand was promoting its new 'Future Z' football boot range on Thursday with the company hosting a Q&A session with the Brazilian maestro. Iqbal, who is sponsored by Puma, managed to grab a quick snap with the main man before competing in a one-on-one challenge with England Under-19 international and Arsenal academy prospect Omari Hutchinson.
He was also pictured alongside Puma CEO Bjorn Gulden. The 18-year-old has earned another call up to Iraq’s squad ahead of their three World Cup qualifiers next week, albeit their hopes of finals qualification are long gone. Iqbal made his senior international debut in January, coming on as a substitute against Iran before coming off the bench again a few days later in his country’s 1-1 draw with Lebanon.
READ MORE: Behind the scenes of Manchester United's Youth Cup win
But before he jets off, he could feature in United ’s Under-23s against Everton on Friday. He’s played 17 Premier League 2 matches this season, scoring twice with the club sitting fifth in the table. The midfielder also netted once in the UEFA Youth League and the EFL Trophy.
Iqbal made his senior Red Devils debut in the club’s Champions League group stage match with Young Boys in December, replacing Jesse Lingard for the final few moments. Many academy followers have pinpointed him among a handful who could potentially break into the first team next season, along with the likes of Charlie McNeill, Charlie Savage and Hannibal Mejbri.
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They will have been spurred on by the rise of Anthony Elanga who has gone from shining in the club's youth set-up to becoming a regular starter for the senior side this year.
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