Young Norwich City goalkeeper Vicente Reyes has vowed to savour every minute of his first senior call-up to the Chile squad.
Reyes was a surprise inclusion in Ricardo Gareca's squad but has been handed the chance to step into the senior squad for the first time, along with goalkeepers Brayan Arias and Swansea keeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
Norwich sent the young goalkeeper out on loan to League One side Cambridge United, who remain winless after the opening nine matches.
Reyes has departed the Abbey Stadium to report for international duty and fulfil his dream of stepping into the shoes of boyhood hero Claudio Bravo. Chile host Brazil before travelling to Colombia in two World Cup qualifiers over this international break.
“It’s special for my family because they’re all Chilean. It’s always been a dream of mine to represent their country,” said South Carolina-born Reyes, who has previously turned out for Chile at age-group level, speaking to Cambridge United channels.
“Every time I step on the pitch for them and put on their shirt, it’s a great honour. Especially for my father, he is someone who follows me around and it is our dream for me to play for the senior team one day.
“Coming in as one of the young lads, my main approach is to live out the moment, get to know the coaching staff and learn from the older lads.
“I don’t think I’m going to play right away, but it’s going to be really good for me and my family.
"We have Marcelino Nunez, who is a teammate of mine at Norwich, and Lawrence Vigouroux, who is another goalie at Swansea. Other than that, we have a few players in Europe, but that number is a lot lower than it used to be."
City swooped to sign Reyes from MLS side Atalanta United in 2023, but the Chilean youngster has spent the majority of 2024 out on loan.
The 20-year-old is pleased with the development pathway the Canaries' backroom team have carved out for him.
"They found me through the international system," Reyes said. "When I was playing for the U20s in Chile, they started following me through this tournament that I was playing in Spain.
"When I played in the U20 World Cup qualifiers, that's when the interest grew and grew. We got the deal done last June [2023], so it's been a year and a few months since I moved over.
"I really love the club, and I feel like the plan is right on track to what they want me to do, so I'm really enjoying it so far."
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