Premier League Star Celebrates Decision To Snub England To Play for Super Eagles
- Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has shared the privileges of playing for the Nigeria senior national team
- The England-born Premier League star has been a consistent member of the Super Eagles since his debut in 2017
- The Nottingham Forest defender formerly played for England’s youth teams before switching allegiance to Nigeria
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The Super Eagles have been the toast for foreign-born players lately as superstars born abroad are eagerly anticipating putting on the Nigerian jersey.
The foreign-born players in the national team has increased exponentially in recent years starting under the leadership of former Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick.
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Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, Maduka Okoye, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and recently crowned CAF Men’s Player of the Year Ademola Lookman per BBC, all chose Nigeria over their nations of birth.
Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina is also among the few who have chosen to represent Nigeria over England, while the likes of Leon Balogun, Maduka Okoye, and Joe Aribo also towed the same paths.
These set of players have made playing for the Super Eagles a thing of pride for other foreign-born footballers as many are now willing to switch their allegiance to play for the three-time African champions.
Aina lists benefits of picking Nigeria over England
Born in England to Nigerian parents, Ola Aina was one of the few players who realised early that playing for the Super Eagles has more benefits than waiting for a Three Lions call-up.
The 28-year-old Nottingham Forest defender started his international career playing for England’s youth teams but switched his allegiance to Nigeria in 2017 and has been a mainstay in the team ever since.
According to Transfermarkt, Aina has made 44 appearances for the Super Eagles and was a member of the silver-winning team at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast last year.
“It means a lot. It’s a big honor to play for the Super Eagles. Every time I put the jersey or t-shirt on, it’s a great feeling — one that can’t really be matched.
“It’s really nice. I love playing for Nigeria, and hopefully, I can keep on playing for Nigeria for many more years. It’s actually going to Nigeria and playing there in front of the fans. It’s fun and I really enjoy it.” Aina was quoted by Complete Sports
With the appointment of Eric Chelle, Aina will hope the Malian tactician can help Nigeria qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the only tournament he has yet to play in as a Super Eagles player.
Aina shares reason for leaving Chelsea
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles defender Aina has shed light on the factors that influenced his decision to leave English Premier League giants Chelsea.
The Nottingham Forest defender, who spent 12 years with the West London club, eventually left Stamford Bridge for Serie A.
Aina was a prominent member of Chelsea's youth setup, helping the club win two UEFA Youth League titles in 2015 and 2016, as well as appearing in consecutive FA Youth Cup finals against Fulham and Manchester City.
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Source: Legit.ng
