It's been quite a week for Joe Allen. Last Tuesday he made his competitive debut in a Swansea shirt in the 2-0 Carling Cup win over Walsall. Then he was awarded a 3 year contract at the club and this week he was on the scoresheet to give Wales Under-21s an impressive 4-3 win in Sweden.
Allen has been hotly tipped to have a strong future in the professional game but even those tipsters would have been hard pushed to predict the last week of the young prodigy. A man of the match performance, a 3 year contract and a goal on your international (U-21) debut. Blimey, that is some going!
Allen played alongside fellow Jacks Shaun MacDonald and Matty Collins as Wales fought back from 3-1 down to record the victory - Allen's goal added to strikes from David Cotterill, David Edwards and Sam Vokes. Ola Toivonen had earlier hit a first half hat-trick for the hosts.
Under 21 manager Brian Flynn said after the game "We had some really big performances from the players and it was a thoroughly deserved victory.
"We had two debatable penalties given against us, but the players showed a lot of composure, character and grit to win the game.
"Five of our boys were missing after being called up to the senior squad, and we ended the game with a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds and three 18-year-olds playing.
"If they keep the standard they showed tonight, then the future is looking bright."
Their next match is away to France in a Euro Championship Qualifier on September 7.
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