Highly-rated defender Owen Otasowie is one of the youngsters closing in on a Premier League debut at Wolverhampton Wanderers, academy manager Scott Sellars told the Birmingham Mail.
The New York-born centre-back finds himself in a rather unique position, having made his international bow before a single appearance in the top flight of English football.
Otasowie’s only exposure to first-team football so far has been a brief cameo in last season’s Europa League.
But a man who was rejected by West Ham before moving to the Midlands in 2017 was given an opportunity to impress for the USA national team on Thursday night during a rather drab 0-0 draw with Wales.
Otasowie has been training regularly with Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad in recent times, however, and Sellars believes an injury or two could open the door for him at club level. Like it has for fellow youngster Max Kilman.
“They are very close. An injury or two means that they get a chance. Owen, for the moment, we think that working with the first team is probably going to be best for his development,” said Sellars, who suggests that the teenager will not be heading out on loan, a la Morgan Gibbs-White at Swansea.
Sellars is also full of praise for left-back Ryan Giles, who is currently playing Championship football at Coventry City, and the U23 forward Theo Corbeanu.
Unfortunately for Otasowie, Nuno is not short of centre-back options, particularly now that Kilman has established himself as a player of Premier League quality.
Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker are also capable of dropping into defence if required.
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