Crystal Palace striker Eddie Nketiah is weighing up his international future after Ghana made a fresh approach to secure his allegiance. Despite having previously represented England at senior level, the forward remains eligible to switch to the Black Stars under current FIFA regulations, leaving him with a major decision to make regarding his long-term international career.
Ghana renew pursuit
Nketiah is considering a new proposal to switch his international allegiance from England to Ghana, according to the Evening Standard. Ghana have a long-standing interest in the former Arsenal forward and have made another approach to try and convince him to represent the Black Stars.
Born in Lewisham to Ghanaian parents, Nketiah played for England at youth level, scoring the most goals of any player for the England Under-21s. The 27-year-old has yet to make a final decision on whether to represent the country of his parents' birth as he evaluates his options.
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Clear path under FIFA rules
The forward earned his first and only cap to date for the England senior team under Gareth Southgate in October 2023. He replaced Ollie Watkins in the 73rd minute of a 1-0 friendly win against Australia at Wembley Stadium.
However, current FIFA rules state that a player must have appeared in more than three competitive senior matches for a single country before turning 21 in order to be ineligible to switch to another nation. Because his sole appearance was in a friendly, Nketiah is still fully eligible to represent Ghana if he decides to change allegiances.
Resurgence at Crystal Palace
Ghana want to add further proven Premier League quality to a squad that already contains Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo and Coventry midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi. After a difficult year with injuries, Nketiah has begun brightly under new Palace manager Pierre Sage, starting all three of their Premier League games so far this season.
Palace have responded well to a tricky start to the campaign and secured their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
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As domestic action intensifies, Nketiah faces a critical juncture in his career. Consistent performances for Crystal Palace will undoubtedly keep him on the radar of both national teams. The striker must soon decide whether to commit his international future to Ghana and join their upcoming qualification campaigns, or hold out hope for a recall to the England setup.