Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has openly acknowledged that he could not refuse the invitation from England manager Gareth Southgate to join the national team, even though he had reportedly engaged in discussions with Ghana officials about a possible switch.
The Ghanaian-born forward, who was born in England to Ghanaian parents, had dual eligibility to represent either Ghana or England in international football.
Black Stars coach Chris Hughton had previously confirmed that he held talks with the 24-year-old, as well as former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, in an effort to convince them to play for Ghana on the international stage.
Despite these discussions, Nketiah ultimately accepted the call-up to join his English teammates in camp as they prepared for their upcoming matches against Scotland and Ukraine. For Nketiah, the opportunity to play for the former World Champions was simply too appealing to decline.
“Once the call-up was there and the offer was on the table it was really hard to turn down,” he said.
He further explained his decision, saying, “I felt it was a natural progression for myself at this stage. I felt now was the good time to kind of make that step and I’m really happy to be here. I am proud to be here and like I said hopefully I can go on and help the team get some cups”.
Having represented his country in various youth national teams, including U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-21, Nketiah is now training with his new teammates and aspires to make an immediate impact and earn the trust of the fans.
