Former Premier League boss offers Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah chance to switch national teams from England
CHRIS HUGHTON has not given up hope on Eddie Nketiah switching his allegiance to Ghana — despite the Arsenal star being in line for his England debut tomorrow.
Striker Nketiah was born in Lewisham, South London, and has played up the youth ranks for the Three Lions, becoming record goalscorer for the Under-21s.
But his parents are Ghanaian, so he is also eligible for boss Hughton’s Black Stars.
Should he feature in the friendly against Australia tomorrow, he would still be free to change countries further down the line.
But Nketiah, 24, would not be able to switch if he plays in Tuesday’s Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy.
Hughton, 64, said: “Some players are very definite about what they want. Some are not so sure and some want to see how things develop.
“I think that’s been the case with Eddie. We would never say never on him switching to Ghana.
“But it’s always down to what the player wants.”
Hughton is also still waiting to see if Callum Hudson-Odoi wants to switch.
The Nottingham Forest star, 22, has three England caps but they all came in 2019.
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
Fifa rules allow players to change countries even if they played in competitive fixtures — so long as they featured in no more than three games, all while under the age of 21.
Three years must also have passed since the last match for the nation from which they wish to switch.