SOCOLICHE EARNS EQUATORIAL GUINEA CALL

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Midfielder to represent his country in Saudi Arabia

2024-03-06T12:30:00.000Z

SOCOLICHE EARNS EQUATORIAL GUINEA CALL

Midfielder to represent his country in Saudi Arabia

2024-03-06T12:30:00.000Z

Midfielder to represent his country in Saudi Arabia

Burnley U21s midfielder Basilio Rieno Socoliche has been called up by Equatorial Guinea for the inaugural FIFA Series later this month.

The pilot project will see national teams from different confederations, who don’t normally get the opportunity to play each other, contest friendly matches.

Equatorial Guinea will face Cambodia on Friday 22 March and Cape Verde three days later, with both games being played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Socoliche, who joined Burnley from Crystal Palace last summer, was born in Spain but qualifies for the African nation because it’s where both of his parents were born.

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The 19-year-old has previously represented Equatorial Guinea at youth level and has been called up to the senior squad twice before but is yet to make his debut.

Speaking after receiving news of his call-up, he said: “Every time I go back to Equatorial Guinea it feels like a family, so I’m really happy and proud to be able to represent them.

“The national team is quite a close group who’ve played together for a long time and it doesn’t feel like a football team – it genuinely feels like everybody there is brothers.

“My aim is to make my debut, hopefully make an impression on the manager, and make my family and country proud.”

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Socoliche suffered a hamstring tear in Burnley U21s’ Premier League Cup clash with Brentford in October, spending three months on the sidelines.

After returning to fitness he then suffered another minor tear but has returned to training in recent weeks, also featuring in last week’s Professional Development League victory over Fleetwood Town.

In the build-up to the men’s team’s Premier League match at Crystal Palace, Socoliche trained with Vincent Kompany’s squad and earned himself a place in the travelling party.

“I didn’t know I’d be travelling until the day before the game”, he said.

“Being able to see how it works with the first team was a good experience, and I learnt how the players act before games and what the staff and the coaches demand off them on matchdays.

“I’ve enjoyed my time at Burnley a lot. Everyone’s made me feel welcome and I feel like I’ve developed not only as a player, but as a person too with living away from home.”