English players Dual Nationality thread #2

And still nothing that explains his eligibility or contradicts the information we've already found. It's very odd.

 

Meanwhile, United are ready to compete with Real Madrid for the signing of Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman. The 27-year-old Nigeria international could be targeted in the summer. (Caught Offside)

I don’t think this type of progress was expected when he switched to Nigeria.

 

🔵👀 Reading talent Andrej Garcia, on the list of several PL and Bundesliga clubs as he’s playing in first team at 16.

England and Spain are also both going to fight to call him up. pic.twitter.com/RcKxB3T0cO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 3, 2024

Can’t say I know anything about this kid, is he worth fighting Spain for?

 

Hard to say. Romano has strong form for hyping youth talents and he's most likely on the payroll of agents. He is playing regular League One football though so I think we should certainly be looking to get him involved in the 17s at least.

 

This guy is a left-back too isn't he? From that alone we can assume the FA will make little attempt to recruit him.

 

Football is an art, like dancing is an art – but only when it's well done does it become an art.” ~ Arsene Wenger

Ibrahim Rabbaj - Chelsea pic.twitter.com/fcE1doOszV

— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) December 8, 2024

 

Its remarkable how we have players who are amongst the top 2 or 3 performers in Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 who are former England Under-21 players who are either defected or pending defection to other countries.
Great credit to and vindication of the quality of the English youth development and academy system, but for whose benefit? Just missing Bellingham defecting to Republic of Ireland to complete the top leagues grand slam!

 

I think with Lookman he switched at a time where him making his current Quality looked pretty unlikely while with Musiala his move back to Germany made it inevitable. Greenwood I’m glad is hopefully switching - I am worried Tuchel will give an answer which encourages him not switch if asked at the Draw later this week.

 

Not beyond the realm of possibilities that Jobe ends up playing for Ireland.

 

I don't want to get on your back, but it's odd that you frequently suggest that the FA is intervening in innocuous selection decisions but don't think they'd have anything to say about that.

 

Or they would have plenty to say but I’m not sure Tuchel will listen to them. He is not known for good working relationships with his bosses.

 

There's a rumour about that Bellingham may qualify for Jamaica on his mother's side; assuming that's true, I'd expect an approach at some point, but I doubt we'd be chosen ahead of Ireland even if he proves eligible.

 

I thought it was already confirmed that the two brothers were eligible for Jamaica but there doesn't seem to be any concrete info on that.

The two brothers have said they dream of playing together for England so it'd probably take quite a few years of England ignoring Jobe until he went in a different direction.

 

Jamaica are probably already better than Ireland and have a much easier qualification route for the World Cup. There are so many more Jamaican duals in the English system compared to Irish these days as well.

That said, I was teasing the poster a bit with that comment. I think Jobe will really want to play for England with his brother and has a realistic chance of doing so.

They'll snaffle some more eventually Rover....

 

I don't think there's been that much hype over Bellingham, just a rumbling about his eligibility. Rogers didn't get a ton of talk either. MGW did.

I don't think the Jamaica Federation has been unrealistic? They approached MGW and a few other players. Some committed and some didn't. I don't see the issue with simply asking players/seeing where they stand. They say yes or no, it kind of is what it is.

Fans are another story - they do overhype and get overly excited, even about players who clearly are never going to represent us. But thats what fans do - they're naturally unrealistic. It's the nature of fandom. None of the decisionmakers are taking them too seriously.

Yes, either way I think Jobe is an extreme longshot. Even if England ignores him he will wait until the absolute last gasp before giving up any chance of representing them and playing next to his brother at the senior level (I suspect he'll consider a switch no earlier than late in the WC 2034 cycle). Can't blame him for that either.

 

One thing clear about Greenwood is that he has been performing far better this season than media darling Phil Foden, which should be the main criteria for selection. That alone should warrant Tuchel's interest. The other complications can then be addressed .
I honestly don't think his England teammates who know him would generally have reservations playing alongside him.

 

Referring to what Greenwood did as 'complications' is certainly a way to view things..

 

One important player might. https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...after-allegation-he-called-greenwood-a-rapist

It would entirely overshadow the fire camp if he was there and define his legacy. That Tuchel might do it is something I can see through but it would be a major mistake.

 

I think the social media video clip situation is something that can be investigated and based on Man U's investigations there was more than met the eye. He never had a trial to be able to tell his side of the story openly so is innocent til proven guilty anyway.
His girlfriend seems unwilling to cooperate now though so that makes it tricky but you can assume she doesn't consider him to be the villain the media is painted him as and her parents backed him up and his version of events so that would be good enough for me, as they would know the full truth and context better than you or I.

 

Man United’s staff didn’t seem to trust their investigation because they mostly wanted him gone and eventually he was.

I think if he was playing in the PL they might not be quite the backlash as people would be used to him. But playing for a non European football playing side means he is out of sight out of thought. So him suddenly being called up would bring it all up and define Tuchel. It’s notable they are never any rumours of a PL club wanting him.

 

It would be very naive to think Man United actually did an "investigation", I mean how would that even have worked beyond asking Greenwood if he did it? As far as i'm aware the club never actually hired anyone to perform any investigation, it was all internal which casts major doubts.

If there were any kind of evidence that refuted what the evidence suggests he did, it would be absolutely insanity he did nothing to release it. He's just willingly going along with the public reputation as a rapist, something that's holding him back professionally, costing him likely tens of millions over the course of his career, for what exactly?

The only thing that would happen if Greenwood was tried to be called up is public uproar and the decision having to be walked back anyway, it would be an insane thing to do, and all for someone who isn't even as good as Saka in his position anyway.

 

Man U made the decision to keep him on but ultimately didn't want to deal with the hysteria and that inevitable hysteria is what is keeping other English clubs from recruiting him and England from picking him as high profile figures would whip elements of the public and media in to a frenzy. That's why a proper investigation by the FA to get to the bottom of the matter would need to take place. Greenwood seems to want to continue his England career if possible so I am sure he would cooperate. It just needs to be handled delicately

 

Mika Biereth scoring again tonight in the Champions league and has been extremely prolific for Sturm . Literally 80 % of our top Under-21 strikers born and raised in England are representing other national teams which is going to make life harder for us in the future as Harry won't go on forever.

 

And with Tuchel being so new and not entirely welcomed by the media such a walk back would quite likely also have to involve him going as well.