The return of international football this week has brought the topic of dual nationality players back into the spotlight with a number of exciting young players seemingly on Gareth Southgate and England‘s radar.
Under 21s captain, Marc Guehi has received his first call-up to the senior England squad following an impressive season with Crystal Palace and the move suggests Southgate is keen to fend off competition from the Ivory Coast, where the centre-back was born.
Guehi isn’t the only Crystal Palace star who has a choice to make when it comes to the international game. As reported by i, England face competition from France to persuade Michael Olise, the highly-rated Crystal Palace winger, to choose them.
Olise was born in England but qualifies to play for France through his French-Algerian mother and has even courted interest from Nigeria, where his father was born. This week, he accepted a call-up to France’s U21 side, but he could still opt to represent England at senior level in the future.
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England have previously succeeded in snapping up players who have turned out for other countries. Declan Rice is the most notable example in recent years; the West Ham midfielder made three senior appearances for the Republic of Ireland but has since become a key player for the Three Lions.
Under Fifa’s rules, a player can change international allegiance if they have not represented a country in a competitive game or have played three games or fewer before their 21st birthday.
Here are a few English youngsters who could end up playing elsewhere internationally:
Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
Countries eligible for: England, Ghana
The Brighton youngster has shone since his move away from Chelsea in January 2020 for regular first-team football but faces a huge challenge to muscle his way into Southgate’s plans.
Although thirty-somethings Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier are entering the twilight years of their international careers, England can still call upon Trent Alexander-Arnold (23) and Reece James (22) in that area of the pitch.
Lamptey has represented England from U18 to U21 age groups but is eligible to play for Ghana at senior level. The Black Stars have made attempts to persuade Lamptey to play for them but have so far failed in their pursuit.
And as he has proven already in his short career, Lamptey is not scared to move out of his comfort zone to gain further experience.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
Countries eligible for: England, Ghana
Unlike other dual nationality players, Callum Hudson-Odoi has featured for England’s senior side, earning three appearances in 2019, but he has not been capped since.
There have been reports that Hudson-Odoi may opt to switch to Ghana, especially if they qualify for the World Cup in Qatar this year, after holding talks with ex-Newcastle and Brighton manager Chris Hughton who is currently the Ghana FA’s technical advisor.
Hudson-Odoi, the son of Ghanaian parents, is eligible to switch nationality despite representing England in a competitive match as all of his previous appearances came before he was 21.
If he were to link up with Ghana, Hudson-Odoi would have to wait until November to play for them as there is a mandatory three-year gap from the player’s final senior appearance to registering for a new country.
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Countries eligible for: England, Nigeria
Guehi and Olise’s club colleague Eberechi Eze has made eight caps for the England under-21s and seven for the under-20s but is yet to receive a senior call-up, largely due to injury.
Following an eye-catching debut campaign in the Premier League, Eze was set to be included in Southgate’s provisional squad for Euro 2020, before suffering a ruptured Achilles.
The Nigerian football federation approached Eze during his QPR days, but their vice president Seji Akinwunmi admitted that it is up to Eze to decide.
Akinwunmi said: “It appears to me that he would want to play for Nigeria but again there is a lot of pressure on these players who play in England. We see him, we think he is a good player. He is Nigerian, he is entitled like any Nigerian playing anywhere to play for Nigeria.”
Tino Livramento (Southampton)
Countries eligible for: England, Portugal, Scotland
Much like Lamptey, Tino Livramento moved from Chelsea in order to establish himself in the Premier League. That James, Lamptey and Livramento have all passed through Chelsea’s ranks in recent years shows how well the club’s academy has performed in recent years.
At Chelsea, the 19-year-old never played in a senior match but at Southampton, he has made 26 appearances this season.
Livramento has played for England from U15 to U21 level but he has a Portuguese father and Scottish mother and could choose to represent either country instead.
“I wore Portugal and Real Madrid kits as I wanted to replicate my idol [Cristiano Ronaldo] as well as my dad wanting me to support the country his side of my family comes from,” he told Chelsea’s website in 2020.
Anthony Gordon (Everton)
Countries eligible for: England, Scotland, Republic of Ireland
Anthony Gordon has emerged as an integral member of Frank Lampard’s Everton side in the Toffees’ fight against Premier League relegation.
The 21-year-old received his first U21 call-up last Autumn and has been included in Lee Carsley’s squad for this month’s matches against Andorra and Albania.
Southgate may be inclined to hand Gordon a full call-up soon as he is eligible to play for Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, both of whom would surely jump at the chance to select him.
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