Nigeria's Future Eagles coach reacts to Arsenal midfielder Emerson Nwaneri's England U15 call-up

The English Football Association have made a move to beat Nigeria to the services of promising Arsenal academy player Emerson Nwaneri, who has a famous sibling.

A schoolboy at the Gunners, Emerson is the younger brother of Arsenal first team player Ethan Nwaneri, who recently made history as the youngest player of Nigerian descent to score in the Premier League.

Emerson has been called up for an England U15 Talent Identification camp, along with another player of Nigerian descent, Liverpool's Shadrach Ekiugbo. 

While the Nigeria Football Federation focuses on inviting homegrown players to the U15 national team, head coach of the Future Eagles, Patrick Bassey has opened the door for dual-eligible players like Emerson Nwaneri to train with the squad. 

When questioned about the possibility of inviting Nigerian players born abroad, like Nwaneri, to the Future Eagles, Bassey told allnigeriasoccer.com: "Yes, if their parents contact us. Like now, we have a player, Kunle, he is Nigerian and also Canadian, we gave him that invitation.

"He came and trained with the team so if we have that opportunity we give them. So they are in contention."

Players under the age of seventeen with dual nationality can switch between countries until they are provisionally capped by one of the nations they can represent.

Emerson's elder brother, Ethan became provisionally cap-tied to England in October 2022 when he came off the bench against Lithuania in a European U17 Championship qualifier. 

Ethan and Emerson are eligible to represent Nigeria through their father, Obi Nwaneri.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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