AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori has explained why he chose not to play for Nigeria, according to Completesports.com.
Tomori, born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to Nigerian parents, grew up in England, which made him eligible to represent all three nations.
Although he initially featured for Canada at U-20 level, he later opted to switch his allegiance to England.
The defender was also part of the England squad that lifted the U-20 World Cup in 2017.
Tomori stated that the Super Eagles never approached him for a call-up.
He said on the Filthy Fellas Podcast: “I was playing for the Canada youth team, but about four months later, the England Academy manager reached out about the possibility of switching over,” adding that “The next International break, England called me, and I knew I had to go. I thought if I said no, would I ever get a call-up again?”
Reflecting on England’s U-20 World Cup triumph, he said: “We won the U-20 FIFA World Cup; it was a good tournament because we had a good team. We had Solanke, Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, Lewis Cook and Dean Henderson.”
He explained that the environment felt familiar: “It didn’t feel different [from Canada] because all my friends were in there. Tammy Abraham, so it felt like Chelsea again.”
Tomori also admitted he often wondered why he wasn’t called up at times during his development, which is why he initially chose Canada. He concluded: “Everyone used to get called up at the time, so I just felt somehow whenever I was left out. It’s why I went to Canada first. If it was Nigeria, I’d have gone.”