Artem Stepanov receives first Ukraine national team call-up

Artem Stepanov, the 19-year-old striker for FC Utrecht, has received his first call-up to the Ukraine national football team following a prolific start to the Eredivisie season. Currently on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, Stepanov has scored in each of his first five league matches, placing him among the league's top scorers.

Stepanov’s performance has set several milestones. He is the youngest player to score in five consecutive Eredivisie matches since Rafael van der Vaart in 2001. He is also currently chasing the record for the highest-scoring teenager in FC Utrecht history, held by Dirk Kuijt.

Stepanov is expected to potentially make his international debut during the upcoming Nations League period, where Ukraine is scheduled to play matches against Hungary, Georgia, and Northern Ireland.