AC Milan hand 15-year-old Moroccan talent Akram Jadid first-team chance

Moroccan teenager Akram Jadid has been invited to train with AC Milan’s first team at just 15, giving the highly-rated striker an early opportunity to work alongside the club’s senior players.

Jadid, born in 2011, has already been competing regularly above his age group since joining Milan’s youth system. The teenager has also featured for the club’s Under-17 team despite being younger than many of his opponents.

His latest step comes after several years of strong performances in the Rossoneri’s academy. Jadid is described as a powerful striker who is comfortable playing with his back to goal and capable of using his pace to exploit space.

He is also regarded as a confident dribbler with a notable ability in front of goal. The young forward is said to have scored almost 700 goals across Milan’s youth categories.

Jadid continued to make an impression last season as Milan won the Under-15 title, further strengthening his reputation within the club.

The invitation to train with the first team therefore represents another important stage in his development and has inevitably led to comparisons with Hachim Mastour.

Mastour, who is also Italian-Moroccan, attracted considerable attention during his early years at Milan. Like Jadid, he was training with the first team at the age of 15 before signing his first professional contract when he was 16.

During the early 2010s, Mastour became widely known for his technical ability, with videos of his skills attracting significant attention online. Several of Europe’s biggest clubs were interested in him, while Morocco also hoped to secure his future at international level.

That eventually happened in 2015 when Mastour replaced Nordin Amrabat against Libya. It proved to be his only appearance for the Moroccan national team.

His career subsequently failed to develop as many had expected. Loan spells with Malaga and Zwolle did not produce the breakthrough he had been tipped to achieve, while establishing himself at the highest level proved difficult.

The contrast between Mastour’s early promise and his eventual career path became a reminder of the difficulties that can accompany excessive attention around young footballers.

Jadid already has a connection with both Morocco and Italy.

The teenager is the son of former player Rachid Jadid, who has lived in Italy since 1991. Akram has developed through the Italian football system but currently represents Morocco’s Under-16 side, for whom he has made two appearances.

Italy are also reportedly continuing to monitor his progress.

At 15, it remains too early to determine how Jadid’s career will develop. However, his performances in Milan’s youth teams, his remarkable scoring record and his first opportunity to train with the senior squad have placed him on an important path.

For Morocco, the hope will be that Jadid can replicate Mastour’s early promise without following the difficult trajectory that came afterwards.