BY JOHNNY EDWARD AND ABIODUN ADEWALE
Nigerians have called on the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation; Austin Eguaveon to persuade Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo to play for the Super Eagles after the former Eagles coach was in England to watch the player, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The clamors followed Eguaveon’s Twitter post of a view at Selhurst Park; Crystal Palace’s home ground, as the Eagles which have two other Nigerians in their rank were beaten at home by Adarabioyo’s Fulham on Boxing Day.
“How I spent my Boxing Day – Crystal Palace vs Fulham. Thanks for the Invite @TosinAdarabioyo,” Eguavoen tweet reads.
The replies under the tweet were in different shades, with few charging the England-born player to choose the Super Eagles over the Three Lions.
“Come to@NGSuperEagles, Tosin.” Said one MistrDez, just as @therealmawulolo tagged it as “beautiful gesture.”
Another fan said, “We need him in the national team, Eguavoen please make it happen.”
“I just forgive you sir. I had been bitter. Get him for us now,” Richard Bolaji wrote.
Adarabioyo was born in Manchester to Nigerian parents and rose through the ranks in the Manchester City Academy with loan spells to West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Fulham on a permanent deal in October 2020.
He has played for England at the U-13 to U-19 levels but has not played for the England youth teams since 2015, leading to speculations he might be open to playing for Nigeria.
Adarabioyo who had stated his desire to play for England before has been an unused substitute for Fulham in their last four games with his last appearance in the Premier League game for The Cottagers coming in October in their 3-2 win over Leeds.
While it is understood from a reliable source that Eguavoen is scouting Europe for a reliable central defender for the Eagles, the NFF technical Director also ran the rules over Crystal Palace’s duo of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who are still also eligible to represent the Eagles despite their allegiances with France and England respectively.
“Discussions are on with him but let’s wait and see. We have to wait before making any statement in the media,” a source who spoke on condition of anonymity told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Eguaveon was also nudged to lure Eze, Olise among other players abroad.
“Let’s get him, Eze, Oliseh, Onomah, Adaramola, Ebiowei. Let’s get them all,” a certain Dez replied to Eguaveon’s post.
Source: The Punch
