Former England international Bobby Zamora has advised Eddie Nketiah, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tariq Lamptey not to rush in choosing Ghana over England.The English-born trio have all played for England at youth level but haven’t been afforded many opportunities with the Three Lions.All three players are said to be considering switching nationality to play for the Black Stars ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Local reports suggest they’ve already acquired their Ghanaian passports and are on the verge of becoming full Ghana internationals.
However, reacting to this, Zamora, whose father is from Trinidad and Tobago but played for England, believes the aforementioned players must bide their time.
"My dad is from Trinidad and Tobago, and they actually came calling when I was at Brighton. I considered, but Peter Taylor had just come in, who had connections with England, and he said ‘listen, don’t jump just yet, you’ve got the ability and you can do this,” he told Express Sport.
"So I actually waited and got into the Under-21s, and I felt that I was good enough to play for the national team. So I bided my time to see if I could get in that England squad, and I finally did, and it was probably one of the best moments of my life.
"For the guys mentioned, they’re so close and so young. I think it’s probably a bit too early for them to jump ship. All of those guys have got the ability to make a real difference and make a big impact for England."
Chelsea’s Hudson-Odoi visited Ghana last year and held meetings with Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo and GFA boss Kurt Okraku.
Meanwhile, Brighton star Lamptey is also currently in the country, having touched down last week following the conclusion of the 2021/22 Premier League season.