Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa gives call-up to amateur footballer

Former Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa has made the headlines once again. He is currently the manager of Uruguay - and he has made waves by giving a call-up to semi-pro star Walter Dominguez, who plays for Juventud de Soriano in the Soriano Liga de Mercedes.

Los Charrúas are due to take on Costa Rica and Mexico in a pair of friendly games ahead of their 2024 Copa America campaign. Dominguez is likely to play a part in at least one of these two fixtures - should he make an impression, there is a solid chance that he could represent his country in a major international tournament.

The 24-year-old has scored 38 goals in 19 games for Juventud de Soriano - if he can replicate even a fraction of these numbers for Uruguay, big things could be on the horizon in terms of his career trajectory.

He’ll play alongside some of modern football’s most famous superstars. Darwin Nunez of Liverpool is a regular member of the squad - their captain, José María Giménez, plays for Atletico Madrid. Federico Valverde is arguably their star player - he currently plies his trade for reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid.

Regarded as one of the most influential coaches in football history, Bielsa’s career in management has been eclectic to say the least. He began his career with Newell’s Old Boys, going on to managed clubs such as Club America, Athletic Bilbao and Marseille. He is perhaps best known to people in the UK as a former manager of Leeds, who he helped to guide back into the Premier League.

He has managed two other international teams prior to joining Uruguay - Chile and Argentina. In 2004, he led Argentina to a Copa America final - he also coached their 2004 Olympics team, helping them win gold.