Part 2: Multiple Nationality Football Players – Sense v. Sentiments
đłđŹ đ´ó §ó ˘ó Ľó Žó §ó ż đŹđ đŹđ˛ đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż đ¸đł đşđ¸ đŤđˇ đŽđš đľđš đŞđ¸ đ¨đ˛ đ¨đŽ đ˛đą đŚđˇ đ§đˇ đ¸đą đŹđŚ đąđˇ đŚđ´ đłđ´ đ°đ˛ đ¨đť đ¸đŞ đŠđ° đŞđŹ đżđŚ đşđŹ
In Part 1, Chinedu established that he was eligible to play for Nigeria and England. So what next? How does he decide which country to play for? đ¤ˇââď¸
It can be a tough decision and if you are expecting a formula from me to work this out, youâll be waiting a lonnnnnngg while… đ đ . There is no magic formula I’m afraid… the player just needs to do a bit of research, then sit down with his or her parents/guardians/mentors and discuss đŁď¸ .
I love asking young British footballers (with African parents) who they would play for if they had the chance and why. Even more so, I love listening to their responses. I watched a friend and her hubby argue over which country their son should represent đââď¸; and the kid is still only 10 đ¤đ hashtag#Wahala
That said, these conversations need to be had. Personally, I think it boils down to Sense v. Sentiments.
By SENSE, I simply mean, thinking about what is best for you as a player/person and what will help advance your career. For instance:
1ď¸âŁ Which national team appears in more international competitions, bearing in mind that this could increase competition for spaces in the team. You would need to bring your “A” game every time.
2ď¸âŁ Where do you feel you will be given more playing time? More caps means more exposure, and more opportunities to advance to bigger leagues. Also, playing time is taken into consideration in England under the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria for international player visas.
3ď¸âŁ What is the country’s FIFA ranking? Same as above re GBE
And by SENTIMENTS, I mean:
1ď¸âŁ Patriotism – You will definitely have people/fans pushing you towards a certain country and asking you to be âpatrioticâ. You need to block out the “noise” and focus on you because majority of those people won’t be there when the chips are down đŁ. Parents may want to see you representing your country of origin, which you may have no connection with đ . If however, you consider this option, it may be a good idea to research how the players are treated. Do they have to pay their own transportation/flights to matches (with promises of a refund that never materialises)? Are the players paid their bonuses on time (if ever) ? đ¤
2ď¸âŁ “This country has invested in my development” – This may seem like a good reason to play for a certain national team, but think about whether that loyalty would be reciprocated đ¤. I wouldn’t be too confident. I have seen distraught players who lost favour with national teams they were loyal to. National teams want results so if you aren’t performing well, you could be dropped and replaced in a heartbeat.
What happens if youâve played for one country and want to switch ?
Look out for Part 3 đ
—
To enjoy the full benefit of this post and some interesting comments, you can also view it on LinkedIn: