Sunderland star Eliezer Mayenda delivers heartfelt reaction after last gasp goal in dramatic Spain U21s win

Sunderland striker Eliezer Mayenda celebrated yet another career milestone on Tuesday evening, scoring his first ever goal for Spain U21s in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Finland.

The Black Cats favourite has been a regular at youth international level in recent months, and came off the bench at half-time in a European Championship qualifier in Castellón de la Plana.

At the time of his introduction the score was 0-0, but Spain would soon fall behind to an own goal courtesy of PSV Eindhoven defender Yarek Gasiorowski. From there, it looked as if the game might slip away from David Gordo’s side, only for Mayenda to pop up in the 90th minute with a predatory tap-in from close range.

Spain weren’t done, however, and rather than seeing out the draw, pushed on again, finding a stoppage time winner thanks to one-time Sunderland transfer target Gonzalo Garcia. The Real Madrid prospect sparked wild celebrations with a coolly taken left-footed strike, ensuring that his nation maintained their 100% record in their qualifying group in the process.

What did Sunderland striker Eliezer Mayenda say about his first goal for Spain U21s?

Mayenda’s goal was his first for Spain U21s, and speaking after the match, the Sunderland forward asked about his tendency to find the back of the net in big moments, to which he responded: “What I try to do is score goals in every situation I can. If I can help the team at the beginning or end of the game, then I try to do my best.

“And well, it's true that I've scored some goals in those slightly heated moments, so to speak, but it's not that I feel more comfortable at one moment or another. I just try to work hard and score as many goals as possible to help the team.”

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In an interview last week, Mayenda also reflected on his call-up to the Spanish international set-up, explaining: “My father is from the Congo and my mother is from Togo. I'm from Zaragoza , I was born there, and I have that mix. Because of, or thanks to, my father, I play football. He likes it a lot, and I started playing at the Ebro River in Zaragoza when I was five. That's where it all started.

“It's a source of great pride. We know it's very difficult to be in the U-21 national team; it's very complicated because there are so many players. Being in the national team is incredible; I try to enjoy every moment, every day. I enjoy everything I do here, the games, the training sessions... I try to enjoy my teammates, which is the most important thing."

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