Super Eagles eye Chelsea youngster

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at Swansea City, is the man in question, with NFF president Amaju Pinnick, who is a friend of the striker’s father, hopeful of talking the striker into the switch.

Abraham has nine caps for the England U21 side and caught the eye last season as he scored 26 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Championship side Bristol City.

The 19-year-old was born in London but has a Nigerian father and Pinnick claims that talks have taken place over switching allegiances to the country of his dad’s birth.

“I had a very honest and productive discussion with Tammy and his father last week,” said Pinnick.

“It’s been a long process but I can tell you authoritatively that he has agreed to play for Nigeria and not England. He and his parents have started the necessary documents to effect the switch.

“Clearly he understands he stands a better chance playing for the Super Eagles. With his talent he has the ability to fight for a place in the Nigeria squad, by God’s grace we make it to Russia, then he would contest for a chance to represent his fatherland.”

Should Abraham choose to represent Nigeria, he would follow in the footsteps of the likes of Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Sone Aluko, who all player for England at youth level before playing their senior international football for the ‘Super Eagles’.

Abraham’s manager at Swansea, Paul Clement, says that he hopes the striker remains part of the England set-up, though he insists that he does not intend on interfering in the matter.

“Hopefully he stays with the English national team,” Clement said.

“I’m not sure if he’d be better off career-wise – I’m saying it because I’m English and he’s a good English talent, so you want him involved in the national team.

“From my point of view, there will be no influence from me.

“If he wants to ask for advice, of course I’ll be there to do it, but I’m sure, between him and his family, he’ll make the right decision.”

Abraham has scored two goals in seven games in all competition for the ‘Swans’ so far this season but his club manager insists that only the individual player can make a decision about who to represent at international level.

“I haven’t spoken to him about that [interest from Nigeria]. I will ask him at some point, but I’ve got more pressing issues to deal with at the moment than that,” said Clement.

“Ultimately it’s the decision of the player. In some cases they’ll make the choice because they see a better opportunity, a chance of playing more regularly at international level.

“In other cases, it’s because it’s where they believe they’re from, representing the country where they were born or where their parents were born and it’s in their culture.

“Whatever their reasons are, it’s down to the player to decide.”