Having seen Jack Wilshere say only English people should play for England and the FA saying they will actively seek the possibility of Januzaj playing for us. What do you think? How long before countries strategically "sign" players to play for the national team?
Everyone except us already does it. I'm happy for it to remain that way, though it would hardly be the first time, are Januzaj's circumstances really that much different to John Barnes?
Surely, if the FA are trying to get footballers to play for us based on how long they've lived here, that means our national team is ****ed. It's not good from the country that claims to be the inventors of the beautiful game. Can't this kid play for 3 different nations anyway?
It gets a bit lame when national teams are scouring a player's ancestry for the vaguest hint that they might have a tiny drop of English blood in it or whatever. But then people move so freely these days, from country to country, that these things do get less clear cut. You'd hope the players would have a genuine pride in playing for the nation that they do, and I think simply plucking someone from another country entirely because their grandad's dead dog was Scottish or something might negate that. But it's an international cap isn't it, whether they care or not, still goes on the Wiki page...could raise a player's value...could allow them to demand higher wages...
My great grandmother was Jewish, does that mean I can play for Isreal?? oh and my ex-wife is Turkish.. so maybe them too...??
plus having lived in Lyon for 10 years I can take La nationalité Francais.. nah you've got to draw the line somewhere.. I would do anything for football, but I wont do that..
I would say so. Barnes came here at 13 from a former British Colony and played for schools teams here. "Adnan Januzaj is Belgian. If he wishes, in strictly football terms, he can be Albanian; or Kosovan, Serbian or Turkish" Have the FA made a statemnt that this is their intent?? Or is it just the papers http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...dnan-Januzaj-play-England--Martin-Samuel.html
Barnes came here at 13, Januzaj came here when he was 16, there's barely anything it in. If we're saying Barnes was okay because he's from an ex-British colony, then I think it's a weak argument. "I know he's not really English, but he is from somewhere we once invaded and ruled for a while." It's as weak as the Scottish grandma and granddad bollocks.
The new chairman has come out and said they are interested in improving the English team, not matter what.
Strange but this is the first time I've ever heard John Barnes being classed as not English. Except by the racists back in the day but that was cos of his colour.
There is no British blood involved whatsoever. He would be allowed to play for England if he has lived in England for 5 years after his 18th Birthday - or some BS like that! He has about 3 years left to not play for any other senior international team before he can play for England.
It wasn't actually until he became manager of Jamaica, that I knew that he was born in Jamaica. I just think it's a bit odd that the Barnes one was considered okay, but the Januzaj one isn't, to me they're pretty much the same. I wouldn't have selected either. I don't care that other countries do it, I think you should have to actually be English to play for England.
I agree with that but as Party says lines are blurred these days. Disagree about selecting Barnes, if he was here at 13 in school then thats ok for me.
This what I've just read. He's just turned 18 so the 5 years to qualify starts now which means if he had any interest in playing for England he'd have to commit himself to living here for the next 5 years, not play for another country, and play for England in 2018. I believe Albania is his first choice but seems like a bit of a waste to go and play for such a lowly team!!
Right, he should play for the mighty power the English National Team is... No honestly, I'd choose Belgium if I were him. They have a team full of potential world class players.
