12 October 2023 , 23:00
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Ghana manager Chris Hughton remains hopeful he can persuade Eddie Nketiah to switch his international allegiance in the coming months.
Nketiah, 24, has represented England at youth level and is even the record goalscorer for the Under-21s. He is believed to be in line for his senior England debut in the next few days after he was called up to the squad that will face Australia on Friday and Italy next Tuesday.
The Arsenal striker has previously been touted as a potential target for the Black Stars as he is also eligible to represent Ghana through his parents. And it appears as though Hughton has not given up hope of pinching Nketiah from the Three Lions.
According to The Sun, the Gunners forward remains on Hughton's radar and could still make the switch even if he plays against Australia on Friday. The current rules mean players can swap international allegiance as long as they haven't featured in a competitive fixture - which means Nketiah would only no longer be eligible to represent Ghana if he plays in next week's Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy.
Hughton, who previously managed in the Premier League at Tottenham and Norwich City, said of Nketiah: “Some players are very definite about what they want. Some are not so sure and some want to see how things develop.
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“I think that’s been the case with Eddie. We would never say never on him switching to Ghana. But it’s always down to what the player wants.”
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Ghana are still courting Eddie Nketiah, who could make his senior debut for England on Friday night (Eddie Keogh/The FA)Speaking last month, Nketiah revealed how proud he and his family were after he was called up to Gareth Southgate 's squad for fixtures against Ukraine and Scotland. He said: “It's a really proud moment for me, my family and friends. It has been quite the journey to get here - a lot of ups and downs.
“Once the call-up was there, an offer was on the table, it was really hard to turn down and something which I felt was a natural progression for myself at this stage.”
He added: “When I got the text it was surreal. I am usually a calm guy but I did lose a bit of composure for a second. It was an amazing moment - all my family were really emotional. I have worked really hard to get up to this point so it was kind of nice to get that recognition. I don't think I said much, I was just checking my phone to make sure it said 'selected'.
“My parents were really emotional because they sacrificed a lot for me to get here. It was just really nice to see that kind of happiness and pride on their faces.”