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The BEST English players which can switch nations
Blogs

The BEST English players which can switch nations

17/05/24 11:17

The pool of players that Gareth Southgate has to choose from for the upcoming European Championships is so huge that there are bound to be many who are left disappointed, having to watch the tournament like the rest of us. Some of these players are eligible to represent other nations on the international stage and so a summer snub may persuade them to look elsewhere. Here are our 5 English players who could switch nationalities.

Southgate

Max Aarons - Jamaica

I don’t think it is surprising to anyone that this list starts off with a right-back. With Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Keiran Trippier and Ezri Konsa all ahead of him in that position, Aarons may seriously be considering changing nationalities and representing Jamaica. It was reported in 2021 that the 24 year old would be called up to the Jamaica squad however Aarons later revealed that he was never contacted by the Jamaica Football Federation and wanted to focus on playing for England. Unfortunately, Aarons has never been called up to the senior squad, and is now too old to be considered for the U21s team. There is always the possibility that he could get a look in once Walker and Trippier retire, but it still seems as if Aarons is too far down the pecking order. A season plagued by injuries has crushed his hopes of being included in England’s squad this summer, but in a team like Bournemouth, who knows what next season holds for the full-back.

Morgan Gibbs-White - Jamaica

Similarly to Max Aarons, Morgan Gibbs-White has played for England at youth level, but has been unable to get into the senior squad, despite excellent performances at club level. Now aged 24, Gibbs-White can no longer represent the England U21s and so could seriously consider representing the Jamaican national team instead. Like Aarons, Gibbs-White has shown his intent to be recognised by Gareth Southgate, and has an even greater chance to be included in this summer’s Three Lions squad. This season the midfielder has provided five goals and 10 assists in the league for Nottingham Forest, helping the side avoid relegation from the top flight. With the next World Cup set to include more teams than ever before, the Jamaica Football Federation will be keeping a close eye on Gibbs-White as they aim to reach the finals.

Curtis Jones - Nigeria

For how consistent Curtis Jones has been in one of the Premier League’s best teams, it seems surprising that he has never represented the Three Lions at international level. The 23 year old midfielder has been a part of England’s youth teams since 2016 and worked his way up the ranks, making 20 appearances for the U21s. It appears unlikely that Southgate will choose Jones in his 26-man squad for the Euros and so the Liverpool man may look elsewhere for international football. He is eligible to represent Nigeria through his grandmother and so could follow in the footsteps of players such as Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman by switching to play for the Super Eagles.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka - DR Congo

It has probably been a while since Aaron Wan-Bissaka sat by the phone waiting for Gareth Southgate to call. He has received one call up to the national squad before having to withdraw due to injury. With his and Manchester United’s poor performances this season, it is very unlikely that Wan-Bissaka will make it to the Euros, so he may be forced to switch allegiances if he is to get international game time. Wan-Bissaka made an appearance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s U20s side before deciding to represent England, the country of his birth, in 2018. Now aged 26, time seems to be running out for the defender, who is behind the likes of Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the England pecking order. Because of this, he has expressed his desire to represent his ancestral DR Congo on several occasions. Surely it’s now only a matter of time?

Dominic Solanke - Nigeria

If Dominic Solanke is left out of this summer’s squad to head to Germany, then surely it has to be one of the cruellest omissions in England’s international history. The Bournemouth man has scored 19 goals in the Premier League this season and yet for some reason many people think that Ivan Toney, who has just four and hasn’t scored in the last 11 games, should go ahead of him. With UEFA allowing nations to pick 26 players, surely Solanke should go alongside Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins. Solanke has represented England at every youth level, scoring a remarkable 36 goals. He even has a singular senior cap, in a friendly against Brazil in 2017. However he could still switch national teams and join the Super Eagles instead. Nigeria have a lot of attacking talent, but Solanke would be an excellent addition should he not get called up by Gareth Southgate this summer.

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