The Nigeria-born winger has represented England at youth level but looks set to commit his international future to the country of his birth by playing against Egypt on Friday
The air of resignation around Arsenal as their latest tilt at the Premier League title fizzles out has dampened any enthusiasm for the emergence of Alex Iwobi, a 19-year-old who might otherwise be enjoying more acclaim.
Such is the mood at the Emirates Stadium that a three-month loan deal for Lionel Messi would probably be greeted as too little, too late but Iwobi has rare potential and England appear to have missed out on it.
The winger is likely to make his competitive debut for Nigeria on Friday against Egypt, permanently committing himself to playing for the Super Eagles. A bout of “the maddest food poisoning”, as Iwobi described it on Twitter, briefly threatened to rule him out of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier but he was back on the training pitch on Tuesday as the butt of well-natured jokes about his intolerance for Nigerian pepper soup. Iwobi was born in Lagos but has spent all but the first four months of his life in London.
Such is the mood at the Emirates Stadium that a three-month loan deal for Lionel Messi would probably be greeted as too little, too late but Iwobi has rare potential and England appear to have missed out on it.
The winger is likely to make his competitive debut for Nigeria on Friday against Egypt, permanently committing himself to playing for the Super Eagles. A bout of “the maddest food poisoning”, as Iwobi described it on Twitter, briefly threatened to rule him out of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier but he was back on the training pitch on Tuesday as the butt of well-natured jokes about his intolerance for Nigerian pepper soup. Iwobi was born in Lagos but has spent all but the first four months of his life in London.
It is curious and surprising that there has not been more of a clamour to tie down a player of Iwobi’s obvious talent to his adopted nation rather than the one of his birth. The Football Association pursued Jack Grealish, who was eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland, for the best part of half a decade from his call up to the Under-17 squad at age 15 to his decision to commit to the Three Lions last year. Iwobi played through England’s youth groups but has suddenly been lost just as the country is getting to know him at club level.
Perhaps Iwobi would never have been convinced. He is the nephew of 75-time Nigeria international Jay-Jay Okocha and his father Chuka said in February: “Alex is very, very keen and the entire family is enthusiastic for him to represent Nigeria. He turned out for England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 levels in a number of friendlies and invitational tournaments, but we are all eager for him to play for Nigeria at senior level.”
This is plenty of evidence to suggest, however, that Iwobi’s decision was not already made. In January, he admitted that “ordinarily” he would have “loved” to have played for England, but explained that he had been persuaded to represent Nigeria by Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and his father.
Perhaps Iwobi would never have been convinced. He is the nephew of 75-time Nigeria international Jay-Jay Okocha and his father Chuka said in February: “Alex is very, very keen and the entire family is enthusiastic for him to represent Nigeria. He turned out for England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 levels in a number of friendlies and invitational tournaments, but we are all eager for him to play for Nigeria at senior level.”
This is plenty of evidence to suggest, however, that Iwobi’s decision was not already made. In January, he admitted that “ordinarily” he would have “loved” to have played for England, but explained that he had been persuaded to represent Nigeria by Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and his father.
It is not surprising their advice proved influential but Arsene Wenger, who will not say it publicly but would have liked to avoid losing a first-team player to mid-season Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, does not appear to have received much help in making the counter-argument.
“He plays for Nigeria now, and he should play for England,” Wenger said in January. After Iwobi scored against Everton on Saturday, the Arsenal manager elaborated. “He played for the England youth teams for a while. After that, the Under-19s didn’t play him. No, they didn’t pick him. He has not played in the Under-19s, basically, and he has a choice, you know.”
Unlike Iwobi, Grealish has endured a poor season at Aston Villa and will not enter Roy Hodgson’s thinking for Euro 2016. That does not make England’s pursuit of him, as tiresome as it became, a waste of time; for many years the national team has been short of players of his ilk and England’s infamous ‘left-wing problem’ would have just been a ‘winger problem’ if David Beckham had not existed. It simply serves to make Iwobi’s flight all the more frustrating.
England have shunted the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes out to the flank at recent major tournaments and Raheem Sterling, to whom Iwobi bears more than a passing resemblance in his posture and dribbling style, is the only wide player to merit an automatic place in the team now. Hodgson consequently introduced a midfield diamond during qualification for this summer’s European Championship.
The irony, of course, is that the tactical switch was Hodgson’s way of dealing with exactly the same problem Arsenal have turned to Iwobi to solve; the lack of consistency shown and progress made by Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
“He plays for Nigeria now, and he should play for England,” Wenger said in January. After Iwobi scored against Everton on Saturday, the Arsenal manager elaborated. “He played for the England youth teams for a while. After that, the Under-19s didn’t play him. No, they didn’t pick him. He has not played in the Under-19s, basically, and he has a choice, you know.”
Unlike Iwobi, Grealish has endured a poor season at Aston Villa and will not enter Roy Hodgson’s thinking for Euro 2016. That does not make England’s pursuit of him, as tiresome as it became, a waste of time; for many years the national team has been short of players of his ilk and England’s infamous ‘left-wing problem’ would have just been a ‘winger problem’ if David Beckham had not existed. It simply serves to make Iwobi’s flight all the more frustrating.
England have shunted the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes out to the flank at recent major tournaments and Raheem Sterling, to whom Iwobi bears more than a passing resemblance in his posture and dribbling style, is the only wide player to merit an automatic place in the team now. Hodgson consequently introduced a midfield diamond during qualification for this summer’s European Championship.
The irony, of course, is that the tactical switch was Hodgson’s way of dealing with exactly the same problem Arsenal have turned to Iwobi to solve; the lack of consistency shown and progress made by Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
“I have a hesitation about loaning him because I think this guy could very quickly play,” Wenger said after the FA Cup victory over Burnley earlier this season. “He’s one who, when he was a kid, could pass you by if you don’t watch well in training but I personally like this game.” England, it seems, were not watching closely enough.
SOURCE - goal.com
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Lol England is really hurt by him leaving
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the fuss is for. This buy does not have to play for England. You can trust the English to treat him like a run a away slave. They don't own him! Will somebody tell the English to throw away the bunch of sour grapes and buy new ones. I wonder what they have in store for him when he goes back to play for Arsenal?
ReplyDeleteThe one that got away
ReplyDeleteWhat's done is done. Here's wishing this new shining star all the best in life.
ReplyDelete