Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has opened up on why he chose to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria over the Three Lions of England.
On the Beast Mode On podcast, Iwobi talked about how former Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger, told him to think carefully about his choices, like maybe waiting to play for England’s senior team.
Although Iwobi played for England in various youth teams, his development slowed because he didn’t get much chance to play for Arsenal’s main team.
However, his career changed when Nigeria invited him to join their Olympic team. After talking with his family, Iwobi decided to look into the opportunity.
He said, “I began playing for Nigeria when I was 19. I was playing for the England Under-16, Under-17, and Under-18 teams, but then my opportunities slowed down because I wasn’t getting regular first-team action at Arsenal, which is tough.
“Everyone else who played for the England U21 team was usually playing first-team football in the Championship or League One regularly, starting games and building their reputation. And I wasn’t really that person back then.
“Then I started playing for Arsenal. At that time, Gareth Southgate was the manager of the U21 team. The Arsenal first-team manager talked to him and said, ‘We are considering bringing you up to the first team, but we want you to play for the U21s.’
“That’s when Nigeria got in touch, saying they wanted me to play in the Olympics. I talked to my dad and uncle, and they said at least give Nigeria a try. If you don’t enjoy the training or the facilities, you can just say you tried it out.”
The former Everton midfielder talked about his first experiences in the Nigerian team, mentioning that the conditions were basic but that he felt a strong sense of being part of the group.
“I then went to Nigeria… you have to wash your own kit. The pitch was half grass, and the AstroTurf was outside the playing area, as if it had just been set up. The coach, if you make one bad pass, he’ll say, ‘What’s wrong with you now?’ I remember one guy passed the ball off the pitch and they made him run two laps. I was thinking, “This is mad.”
“I was having a good time. The food was clearly jollof rice; we had yam and egg for breakfast. I just felt I was at home. I hadn’t even established a reputation at Arsenal, but they already knew about me. I was stopped at the airport and celebrated. The love for the game was high.”
The key moment happened when he got called up for a match against Egypt.
Wenger, according to Iwobi, let him make the final decision.
“I was still working on getting the FIFA clearance sorted. I wasn’t able to play in the knockout games to get a spot in the Olympics, but I still went to watch and be part of the team. The away fans came with instruments and started making a lot of noise. I felt like I was back home this is where I’m meant to be,” he said.
“There came a point when I was needed for Nigeria’s senior team, so they invited me to play against Egypt. Wenger said, ‘What do you want to do? You can delay it so you can think about England, or you can go and represent Nigeria.’
“Because of the experience I had, I wanted to go and represent Nigeria. He (Wenger) said they would support me and wished me all the best.
“I enjoy playing for England because the team has a strict system, stays disciplined, and has some of the top players in the world. But Nigeria is always fun. You never know if something will turn out well or not.”
Iwobi first played for the Super Eagles in October 2015, during a friendly match against the DR Congo national team in Visé, Belgium.
Since that time, he has become an important player for Nigeria, playing 98 matches and scoring 10 goals.bi
