Gareth Southgate has advised on-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun who is impressing at Reims this season, to be patient regarding an England call-up.
Balogun is eligible for both the United States and Nigeria and visited the US during the recent international break.
Southgate has cited Balogun’s lack of Premier League experience as the reason for him being overlooked for an England call-up at this time, and he is not prepared to offer him a spot in the squad just to secure his international future.
While Southgate has praised Balogun, he noted the need to weigh up his potential against other young players such as Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, and Eddie Nketiah, who have already made an impact in the Premier League.
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Southgate acknowledged that offers from other countries will come, as many players are eligible for multiple national teams, but emphasized the importance of making young players feel wanted and part of the England squad.
“It is up to the player to weigh up where his heart feels. Is he prepared to wait a little bit for an opportunity if he backs himself and feels he can push his way into our squad?” he said.
“Because anybody who has followed us will know that we will give young players a chance. So, we cannot go and give first-team call-ups to someone just because we don’t want them to go somewhere else.
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“We like Flo. He has obviously not had an opportunity in the Premier League yet, so we have to weigh up those goals to Ivan [Toney], for example, or Ollie Watkins. Or Eddie Nketiah, who has done really well with the opportunity he has had at Arsenal.
“I know there are going to be offers as 80 percent of our players can play for more than one country now, and we are not arrogant expecting everybody to want to come to play for England. We have to make them feel wanted and feel part of that.
“Ultimately, it does not matter what you say. If you cannot give them the opportunity now, then some people are patient and want to see it through and are prepared to wait a bit and others want it now and I can totally understand that.”
Ultimately, Southgate believes it is up to the player to decide where his heart lies and whether he is willing to be patient for an opportunity with England.
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