Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Eddie Nketiah has a ‘real opportunity’ to push himself towards a first senior Three Lions of England cap.
Fresh off a match-winning display against United, Neville backed Nketiah to soon become part of Gareth Southgate’s senior plans.
Southgate was in attendance at the Emirates on Sunday to watch Nketiah continue his fine form for Mikel Arteta’s side in the absence of Gabriel Jesus.
“Nketiah, you look at him and the dearth of English centre forwards… I think he’s got a real opportunity at the moment,” Neville said on the Gary Neville podcast monitored by Daily Mail.
“(Dominic) Calvert-Lewin’s not quite there at the moment. (Callum) Wilson is good, but is he going to be around another three, four, five years? Harry Kane, we know, is fantastic. (Jamie) Vardy obviously is not here anymore.”
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Neville believes Nketiah would do well to remain focused on the promising role he is currently undertaking at club level.
“But at the moment, the best thing that Eddie Nketiah can do is really just contribute to this Arsenal team and this very special run that they’re on,” he said. “And this very special season that they’re having.”
Nketiah’s international future is still undecided,despite turning down Ghana prior to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
While the decision was a blow to the Black Stars, Nketiah has yet to declare his intention to play for England, nor rule out ever appearing for the country of his parents.
12 Comments
thats what they do, perform well when they get a run of first team England call them up to keep them as back up so the African team cannot cap them when Gabby Jesus returns to fitness he will regain his place Nketiah will be confined to bench again until he leaves to a mid table squad 3 years from now he will be saying he would have like to play for Ghana.. Mtcheeew!!!
Hahahaha…. England no how to use Africans do yeye, how shameful? Trust me it will a miracle for him to understand he stands better chance with Ghana. He is now in his head, an ENGLISH BOYY. LOL
Better for him to play for England than Ghana e get why
@agbo chimezie Lol I feel you there hahahaha!!
That’s why England or Southgate abi nah NorthBackyard will not win the World Cup or Euros again. They’ll always be stuck in 1966 glory, no matter how much potential they have in their team.
They’ll always be nearly there, but never there. That’s karma for this modern day football colonialism. Always using their economic advantage to bully out African teams on natural talent.
If they’re so obsessed with robbing Africa, they should come out out with their full chest and go the route of Africans – not pouncing when the fruit is ripe and outmuscling African nations.
@ Kel, but England na dem go down to the root,,dem even be ones wey put manure to make sure say seed become plant, plant become tree and tree become forest. MY ONLY PROBLEM WITH OUR BROTHERS BE SAY DEM DEY FAIL TO ISE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THE TIDE OF COLONIALISM, BY USING THEIR TALENTS TO PUT AFRICA ON PERFECT PEDESTAL TO DOMINATE FOOTBALL AND THEN USE IT AS A POWERFUL FORCE OF EQUAL BARGAIN.
Again we should stop blaming Southgate. Its well beyond his control. Left to Southgate, he will never invite these African born. He is being pressured by the higher ups to do against his wish for a reason, only understood by those with the eagle eyes.
True @Glory. But when will it be enough for them? They have so many natural born Englishmen knocking at the Three Lions door, but no, it’s about cap-tying hot African talents for Northgate and making them ‘useless’ to African teams
Where’s Dele Ali? Where’s Tammy Abraham? Tomori? The matter of Saka pain me gan and I’ll always pray for defeat at the 11th hour. Now they’re targeting another young African blood, Nketiah.
Sometimes, I feel it’s not just grabbing talents, but about depriving Africans of the potential to compete on equal level with them.
Ghana called up Tariq Lampty, Inaki Williams, Hudson Odoi and Eddi Nketiah. Hudson Odoi and Nketiah declinded, they wanted to represent england
Brodaman, I am on same page with you albeit seemingly paradoxical. Anyway, the answer to your question is; Money and football now very powerful tools to colonise, control, get richer n continue in that stride.
The game like you recognise, is, deprive the lesser countries/clubsides of their talents by capping/buying them off and just dump them on the bench or send them out on loan to teams that don’t pose any threat. And doing that keeps the bigger teams on top and in control as to continue dictating the business side of football all to their advantage.
Sadly , these our foreign born children are failing to understand they are in a great position to pay back in a most subtle way what was done to the black race through slavery.
THE BEST WAY WILL BE TO START TURNING OUT FOR THEIR ORIGINAL COUNTRIES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHATEVER THE FOREIGN COUNTRIES MIGHT DONE FOR THEM. DOING THAT LONG BEFORE NOW, COULD POSSIBLY HAVE SEEN AN AFRICAN COUNTRY WIN THE WORLD CUP. WHICH COULD HAVE GIVING AFRICA A POWERFUL VOICE IN WORLD FOOTBALL MATTERS, JUST LIKE HIP POP IS DOING TODAY.
Responding to brodaman Kel.
Some pipo dey do fasting say make Nketiah no accept Ghana call up. Nketiah na ogbonge striker, but a tree does not make a forest. Nketiah or no Nketiah, we suppose to dey beat Ghana steadily.
Na we dey do ourselves. Even if Haaland joins Ghana, we can still beat them on the regular, if only NFF sit up and handle their business.