Son of ex-Super Eagles striker among four players of Nigerian descent named in England U17 squad

England U17s head coach Neil Ryan has announced his roster for a pair of friendlies against the Netherlands this month, with four teenagers of Nigerian descent making the cut.

The squad is headlined by Rio Ngumoha, who made his starting debut for Premier League table toppers Liverpool last month, playing for 72 minutes in a 4-0 rout of Accrington Stanley in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Also making the squad list announced on Tuesday are Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Wesley Okoduwa, who is the son of retired Nigeria international striker Emmanuel Okoduwa, as well as West Ham's Lanre Awesu and Chinaza Nwosu.

While Ngumoha and Nwosu are provisionally cap-tied to England having made their competitive debuts for the U17s in a European Championship qualifier in October 2024, Awesu and Okoduwa have only played in friendly matches for the age group.

Apart from England and Nigeria, Okoduwa, who was born in New York City, is eligible to represent his country of birth United States at international level. 

The 16-year-old drew media attention in the second half of last season after being named in the squad for six Premier League games, although he was an unused substitute in all the matches.

The Netherlands and England are using the friendlies as part of their preparations for the elite qualifying round of the U17 Euro qualifiers in March.

The Young Lions will take on the Oranje at the Sports Complex Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Portugal on February 20, before meeting again at the same venue on February 23.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit: liverpoolfc.com

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