Egy Maulana Vikri (JP/Seto Wardhana)

Indonesia’s teen soccer star Egy Maulana Vikri received a warm welcome from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the State Palace on Friday morning.

Egy, who signed a three-year deal with Lechia Gdansk that plays in Poland’s top-flight, shared the happy moment on his Instagram account, which also displayed a selfie with Jokowi.

“We should all be proud that Egy found a way to enter Poland’s main soccer league,” Jokowi said after the meeting. “I hope Egy will absorb many things [in Poland], so when he returns home he can contribute to the development of soccer in Indonesia.”

Jokowi also requested that Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, who accompanied Egy to the palace, help other talented players to also reach the top.

Egy said he was pleased that Jokowi met him in person.

“I’m honored to receive support from the President in person. He told me to never stop learning and stay humble,” said the 17-year-old who hails from Medan, North Sumatra.

Egy, who caught the public’s eye after impressing for the Indonesian national team, has no experience playing in a professional league.

However, due to age restrictions, Egy will have to wait until July, when he turns 18, to officially hit the pitch for Gdansk.

“I’ll be improving my game and physical strength while waiting for July to come,” said the teenager who idolizes Lionel Messi.

Egy, who is nicknamed Egy Messi by his fans, had his first encounter with soccer when he was in kindergarten. He honed his basic skills at two soccer schools, namely Asam Kumbang and Tasbi, before being scouted.

It was Indra Sjafri, a former national head coach, who scouted the youngster in 2012. At that time, Indra noticed Egy’s potential at the FIFA Grassroots Festival in Medan.

A few years later, Egy moved to Jakarta and after being selected for the national U14 team he enrolled in the Ragunan Sports School, a special school for selected athletes.

In 2015, he marked his international debut by helping Asiop Apacinti win the U15 Gothia Cup in Sweden. He also received the best player award at the tournament.

Last year, Egy achieved another milestone when he won the Breakthrough Player Award at the Toulon Tournament in France, where he played for the U19 national team. Soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo also previously won the same award.

Egy, who is an attacking midfielder, was also the top scorer — eight goals — and most valuable player at the 2017 AFF U19 Championship, where Indonesia finished in third position.

Prior to the Gdansk deal, he was named by The Guardian as one of the most promising soccer players in the world.

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