The decision of AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori to snub the chance of switching from switching his international allegiance from England to Nigeria hasn’t worked out so far, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
In 2019, Tomori was approached by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over a switch of nationality at senior level after representing England up to the U21 but he turned it down. He eventually got to play for England but that debut which came three years ago is his only cap till date.
Tomori has been constantly snubbed by head coach Gareth Southgate and even when he was given a call up he still didn’t get to play despite the fact that he has blossomed into one of the best defenders in Europe.
Speaking on the predicament of the 25 year old in the England set up , his former teammate at Chelsea and even at youth level with England Ola Aina dismissed suggestions that it was because he is playing out of England.
Aina is back at England with Nottingham Forest on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Serie A side Torino. He said the pedigree of the team Tomori is playing for should get him into the national team, particularly stating that at some time he was better than a certain player, who was constantly getting called up ahead of him.
“At first I wanted to say maybe it is because he is playing out of England but then it’s not like he is out of England and he is playing for Torino or somewhere worse than Torino”, he told TBG podcast. “He is playing for AC Milan you know. That’s no joke, they even won the league and made it to the Champions League final and even if they haven’t done that , the team, the history itself it talks for itself.
“So Fikayo’s own that one was strange to me especially that year they won the scuddetto he was doing a lot better than a certain man back home (England)”, he explained further before revealing how he use to mock Tomori over the snub reminding him about when he tried to convince him to consider Nigeria.
“That England thing, honestly it’s easy for me to say it to him, sometimes I joke with him like I told you about the Naija thing , ( Switching to Nigeria). It’s easy for me to say that to him because I wasn’t in the position where I could possibly get an England debut. I am just talking from my own experience”,
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
