Thirteen-year-old Karamoko Dembele produced an "excellent" display on his Scotland under-16s debut, according to head coach Brian McLaughlin.
Dembele, who was born in London to Ivorian parents, made headlines earlier this month when he made his debut for Celtic's under-20 team despite his young age.
The Scottish Football Association is fighting to convince the midfielder to pledge his international future to Scotland rather than Ivory Coast or England, whose youth setup he is reported to have trained with last week.
"He was excellent," McLaughlin is quoted as saying by BBC Sport after Dembele came off the bench in Scotland's 2-2 draw with Wales in the Victory Shield.
"He looked confident and it's a very good group to come into. We just felt this was the right time to introduce that young boy onto the pitch.
"We've got a strong group of players, they're really good together and for him to be training with these boys will be a learning [experience] for him and he'll become a better player for it.
"All these young boys want to become top footballers. It's important that we keep trying to create an environment for these young boys to become better, because they've got the attitude of wanting to become top players, not just professional players."
Dembele, who moved to Glasgow at the age of five, will not be tied to a national team until he makes a competitive appearance for a senior side.
Scotland's draw with Wales follows on from their 2-0 defeat of Northern Ireland, meaning a victory over Republic of Ireland on Friday will secure the Victory Shield.