Academy schoolboy Jayden Adetiba made his first start for the United Arab Emirates at the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, but his side were beaten 3-1 by Uzbekistan in their quarter-final tie.

Adetiba, 15, who joined the Blues from Arsenal in February following a trial, played the first 66 minutes before being replaced.

Prior to that, the forward, who will start as a full-time scholar at Playford Road in the summer, had come on as a sub in the UAE’s three group matches, a 4-1 defeat to Japan, a 2-0 victory over Australia and a 1-1 draw with Vietnam.

Reaching the quarter-finals means the UAE has qualified for the U17 World Cup in Qatar in November.

Born in Nigeria, Adetiba spent time living in Dubai as a child before being spotted by the Gunners in 2018 while playing at a tournament in South Africa.

He previously represented the UAE at U16s level in November and is the first Town player to win a cap for the country at any level.

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