Irish teenager Anselmo Garcia McNulty says he's determined to make the most of his opportunity after he was promoted to the first team squad at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for pre-season training.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Spain but has declared for Ireland, joined Wolfsburg's academy from Real Betis in 2019 and was last month awarded his first professional contract, and first team boss Mark Van Bommel thought enough of the defender to draft him in for training.

"As a young player, it’s a special experience to be part of the first team and to train with them. I’m still learning a lot here, but it’s hard work too. I’m pretty exhausted after the first two days, but I’m still happy to be here, to have the opportunity to prove myself to the coaching team and to play when needed," he told the club's website from their pre-season training camp.

"I obviously want to continue training with the first team and, if possible, make my debut in a competitive match. I want to keep improving and improving and improving. I’m working hard to do just that.

"You always improve even more when you’re able to train with better players and when the overall quality of the squad is at a higher level. You see how the others play and learn new solutions to certain situations. I can learn a lot from the experienced players. I learn something new every day."

Capped at U17 level by Ireland, McNulty trained with the U21 panel at a tournament in Spain last month and is likely to make his U21 debut when the European Championship qualifiers start in September.