With England having announced their preliminary squad for the 2024 UEFA European Championship, some disheartened players who were not selected still hold African citizenship.
There is a certain feeling of pride that comes with representing one's country that just cannot be replicated through club football, and the disappointment of not being able to compete in what many would consider to be Europe's most prestigious international tournament may lead some players to wanting to switch their international allegiances. However, not everyone is capable of doing so.
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Confirming the #ThreeLions' pre-#EURO2024 training squad! ??????????????
— England (@England) May 21, 2024
There are some English players who may have felt as though they deserved a spot in Gareth Southgate's latest Three Lions squad after their individual performances throughout the 2023/24 campaign. The list includes Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, Bournemouth attacker Dominic Solanke, Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, and they have alternatives that could result in them seeing playing time on the senior international stage because they meet the criteria.
What makes them eligible for other countries?
FIFA's ruling on the issue makes understanding the process much easier. Firstly, the player has to have been in possession of the nationality of their desired national side, whilst making their debut for the first national team. Then, the player could not have made more than three competitive appearances for the senior side before the age of 21. He must also not have participated in the final stage of an official tournament. Finally, at least three years must have passed since the player last made a senior appearance for their first national team.
As such, all four of the abovementioned players could yet go on to represent an African nation!
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest)
Hudson-Odoi was left out of the most-recently announced England squad after collecting eight goals and two assists in 35 appearances, of which 20 were starts, for Nottingham Forest in this campaign. His last appearance for the Three Lions came in 2019, and he has only been capped three times, so as things currently stand, the winger is still eligible to make an allegiance switch.
With the former Chelsea attacker being just 23 years of age, he has a relatively long future ahead of him too, and seems to still be considering the prospect of switching his national allegiance to Ghana. It is something he has expressed interest in doing, but he seemingly remains undecided.
"That decision hasn't been made yet. I'm still thinking it over. Ghana is a very good option but let's wait and see," he told The Telegraph last year. "Hopefully, once I start playing games here, maybe Gareth [Southgate] or Ghana will come. It's a nice position to be in and hopefully, sooner or later we will know."
Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)
The 26-year-old is likely to feel very hard done by after not receiving an England call up. He has managed to net an impressive 19 league goals this season, which puts him level with Phil Foden on the scoring chart and behind only Alexander Isak (with 21 goals), Cole Palmer (22), and Erling Haaland (27). He has also contributed with three assists for Bournemouth, helping the side to a 12th-place finish.
He has just one England cap under his belt, and that came in 2017. With the striker being 26, he may be looking into alternative methods that could help him increase the number of international appearances he has made thus far. Being of Nigerian descent, Solanke had previously expressed an interest in representing the Three Lions at the upcoming tournament. Perhaps being snubbed could spark a switch to the Super Eagles.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
The Manchester United right-back has been criticised by many for the attacking side of his game, or lack thereof. At the same time, however, he has received praise for his ability to defend in one-on-one situations and because of this, one would think he would bean ideal choice when England come up against the likes of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rafael Leao or other tricky customers that often occupy the left wing.
Southgate, though, seems to not be among those with that train of thought as the 26-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance for the English national side. Reports have previously suggested that the defender was approached by the Democratic Republic of the Congo – a side he represented at U20 level – to play for them at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Given that he did not go to the tournament, he probably passed up the opportunity at the time. However, one wonders whether or not he will take the next opportunity given this most recent snub.
Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham)
The defender was born in Manchester to Nigerian parents and is eligible to play for both the Three Lions and the Super Eagles. The 26-year-old has had a stellar campaign in which he has made 20 league appearances. He also chipped in on the other side of the pitch with two goals. With his contract set to expire in June, the centre-back's performances over the course of the campaign has seen him become a target for bigger clubs, with Manchester United and Newcastle United have been linked with the player.
It looks as if Southgate's is the only interest the player was unable to attract. The Nigeria Football Federation has reportedly been long-time admirers of the centre-back, and opting to represent Super Eagles would perhaps result in Adarabioyo earning international caps on a more regular basis.
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