Arsenal starlet says he found it hard to reject chance to play for England

Apr 14, 2016 at 2:35 PM

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Arsenal starlet says he found it hard to reject chance to play for England

One of the biggest finds for the Gunners this season has been the summer acquisition Alex Iwobi.

The 19-year old has been impressive for the London franchise and has already made 16 appearances for the club since being handed his debut in August earlier this season.

He has found a good goal scoring form off-late and is growing into an important player for the club.

And recently, Iwobi also won his first international cap with Nigeria during the International break last month and this appearance has dismissed any chances of the youngster playing for the England national team.

A recent report revealed that the FA approached the 19-year old with a possibility of him representing England but it is understood that the player rejected the offer and went on to play for Nigeria, the country where he was born.

In a recent interview, the midfielder revealed that he spoke with the FA before making the decision to play for Nigeria and that it was hard for him to reject such an opportunity.

“England did contact me recently before I played my first competitive match for Nigeria, asking if I wanted to play for England.”

“It was a difficult decision picking Nigeria over England,” he admitted.

Iwobi has already proven himself against the best in the Premier League and will surely be an important player for the Gunners for years to come.

He would have been an asset for the English national team but the lack of chances may have scared the 19-year old into playing for his birth country.

However, he thanked the FA for providing him with an opportunity to play for the country but added that he was proud to be playing for Nigeria =.

“I’m very proud to represent Nigeria but I would like to say thank you to England for the chance they gave me, it was a difficult decision,” he added.

He went on to explain that he enjoyed his time playing with the Nigerian national team and explained that the fans in the country are adorable.

“The love Nigeria showed me, when I played for them in a friendly, the fans were just crazy. The fans almost eat you up because they love you so much. I’m enjoying playing for them.

He went on to add that the fans in Nigeria crazy about the Premier League clubs and said that many of them asked him for the Gunners merchandise when he was in the country during the break.

“When you are getting out of the airport there are fans already there screaming ‘Arsenal, Arsenal. Gunners for life!’ and it’s just mad.

“Some of them have Arsenal shirts and then others will ask me for Arsenal shirts. It’s a bit mad and the fans are crazy,” he added.

Do you think Iwobi could have got enough chances in an England shirt?

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