Charlton defender Naby Sarr has earned his first call-up to the Senegal national team.
The 26-year-old has become an important part of Lee Bowyer’s squad in the last 18 months and will join his new teammates during the November international break.
Senegal host Congo on November 13th before travelling to Eswatini on November 17th in qualifying games for the 2021 African Cup of Nations.
Sarr will join up with the team on November 11th and a proud Bowyer said: “I couldn’t be happier for him. There’s a lot of people that played a part in his journey.
“If you think where he was when I came back in charge, he wasn’t in a good place. Everyone knows the relationship with fans and Naby wasn’t good place at the beginning.
“Naby has got his confidence back. He’s become a better defender. His work rate has been unreal on the training pitch. He lost weight, he got fitter, and that’s the reason why he’s a better defender."
“I think us as staff, the players around him everyday and that support him, and I think the fans as well need to take credit.
“I’ve said before, you sing his name and his smile is so big and it gives him that confidence.
“For me they (the fans), have played a massive part getting him where he is today so they should take some credit as well.
“Everybody to do with the football club should take some credit. But no-one more so than Naby, because he’s the one that has had to go out there and do it everyday.”
The Senegalese national team is managed by former Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder Aliou Cisse and amongst Sarr's teammates on international duty will be Liverpool ace Sadio Mane.
Sarr, who scored his first Charlton goal of the season a fortnight ago in a 3-0 against Derby County, has previously represented France at U20 and U21 level.
