Tri-national forward Elijah Gift is continuing his rise through the ranks at Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, with his impressive performances beginning to attract attention beyond the academy setup, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.
Gift joined Athletic Bilbao from the Liverpool academy in the summer of 2023, with the Basque club paying one million euros to secure his signature.
Born in Corella, Gift is eligible to represent Spain, where he was born, as well as Nigeria and Cuba through his father and mother respectively.
The highly-rated attacker is provisionally cap-tied to Spain after making his competitive debut for Spain youth team in a European U19 Championship qualifier against the Faroe Islands in November 2024.
Regarded as one of the standout performers for Athletic Bilbao's reserve side, which competes in the Primera Federación Group I — the third tier of Spanish football — Gift earned his first-ever call-up for a La Liga fixture on the final day of the season.
The 19-year-old was an unused substitute in Athletic Bilbao's 4-2 defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday.
He was also named on the bench for a UEFA Champions League group stage clash against Sporting CP, although he is still awaiting his senior debut.
Gift has also demonstrated strong leadership qualities, captaining Athletic Bilbao's U19 side in this season's UEFA Youth League.
He scored against Arsenal and Slavia Prague, while also providing an assist in a 3-2 victory away to Newcastle United.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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