Real Madrid star could make senior Spain debut after stunning five-goal U21 performance

Real Madrid star could make senior Spain debut after stunning five-goal U21 performance Carlos Espi is living the life most young players would dream of. He secured a move to Real Madrid from Levante in the summer. He scored on his La Liga debut for his new team against Espanyol, helping them secure all three points, and has made the most of the limited minutes he has been given. His good form earned him a call-up to the Spain Under-21 side, where he scored five and assisted two on his first start against San Marino Under-21s. This performance has now put him in contention to make his senior Spain debut tomorrow, replacing the injured Ferran Torres. Sometimes, when the stars align, they align too perfectly to be believable. In Espi’s case, it has been a fairytale. Espi admits his life has changed Speaking to El Chiringuito after his sudden promotion, the Real Madrid youngster admitted the speed of his rise has been difficult to process. “My life has completely changed,” Espi said. Carlos Espi has done really well for Madrid in limited opportunities so far. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) It is easy to understand why. Less than 24 hours after describing that Under-21 performance as a “special night,” Espi finds himself potentially one appearance away from becoming a senior Spain international. The opposition, San Marino, naturally has to be considered, but Espi has repeatedly made the most of extremely limited opportunities this season. Jose Mourinho has used him for only 26 minutes across Real Madrid’s opening eight matches, yet the striker has already scored twice. His late goals against Espanyol and Elche directly helped Madrid collect four points. The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. A pattern is beginning to emerge Espi does not need many touches or extended spells of possession to influence matches. His penalty-box movement and instinct for scoring goals have made him an effective option from the bench. Espi is in the running for a senior Spain cap. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) A senior Spain debut would represent an extraordinary rise to fame for a player who entered this international break with only one Under-21 appearance. It would also provide Mourinho with another reason to consider giving Espi greater responsibility at Madrid. The presence of Kylian Mbappe means Espi is unlikely to be a starter for Los Blancos . What he can do, however, is make every performance count. Whether they come with Los Blancos , Spain Under-21s or the senior La Roja team, that is exactly what he is doing, and it remains to be seen how Espi fares for Luis de la Fuente’s team.