Hannibal Mejbri has decided to pledge international allegiance to Tunisia having previously represented France at youth level.
The teenager, who was given his first team debut by Manchester United when he came off the bench against Wolves in the final Premier League game of the season, has opted to represent the homeland of his parents.
Mejbri was born in France and has turned out for them at U16 and U17 level, but he now expects his first full international call-up within the week.
Why has he made that decision?
It is understood that Mejbri feels he is Tunisian, rather than French, as he spends a lot of time in the country and both of his parents were born there. He has also rejected calls from France to be called up to their U18s and U19s over the past couple of seasons.
How many appearances has Mejbri made for France?
He made his debut for the U16s in 2018 and made 12 appearances for their youth side before being promoted to the U17s in 2019. The forward made three appearances at U17 level and his last game was in a qualifier for the UEFA Euro U17 Championships in 2019.
Since then he has not played any international football but is expected to get his first full international call-up very soon.
What are his stats like for Manchester United?
The 18-year-old has made 25 appearances at youth level this season for United, scoring five and assisting 10 more. He was handed his first team debut on the final day of the Premier League season as he came off the bench in the win against Wolves.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed with Mejbri and promoted him to first team training earlier this year. However, a shoulder injury meant his progress was delayed as he recovered.
His performances this term saw Mejbri, who signed in 2017 from Monaco, named U23s player of the season.
“It's a very proud moment for me and my family. I will say thank you to the coaches, to my teammates and everyone who helped me. Thank you very much," he told the club's official website.
“I think the Under-23s league was good, we did well with a young team and I think we all learned some things. The coach helped us a lot, with our technical [play] and how we need to work. For me, personally, it was good. I learned a lot. I had to be stronger. I was more consistent in the games and I had more goals and assists than the season before. It's always good to take that step, so it was good.”
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