Tammy Abraham: How Nigeria Missed the Chance to Secure Aston Villa Striker Before He Chose England
- Nigeria were close to securing the services of Tammy Abraham before England capped him in 2017
- Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick admits he regrets failing to convince the striker to play for the Super Eagles
- Abraham has not played for England since 2022 despite strong club form across Europe
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has revealed that the Super Eagles came very close to securing Tammy Abraham’s international allegiance before the striker ultimately chose to represent England.
The disclosure sheds new light on one of Nigerian football’s biggest “what-if” stories involving a foreign-born player with strong family ties to the country.
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Born in London to Nigerian parents, Abraham was eligible to play for Nigeria throughout his youth career, even as he rose through England’s age-grade teams.
According to Pinnick, Nigerian officials made several attempts to convince the Aston Villa striker that committing to the Super Eagles would offer him a more fulfilling and lasting international career, but to no avail.
How Nigeria tried to win Abraham over
Pinnick, speaking on The Playzone podcast, revealed that discussions with Abraham and his family had progressed positively at one point.
Source: Getty Images
NFF chiefs believed the 28-year-old forward’s heritage and personal connections to Nigeria would tilt the balance in their favour.
“We sat and spoke, and we had agreed that he would come to play. But at the last moment he changed his decision,” Pinnick said.
The turning point came in 2017 when England moved quickly to cap Abraham in a European Championship qualifier against the Czech Republic.
That appearance permanently tied him to the Three Lions, closing the door on a possible switch to Nigeria.
Pinnick admitted the decision still hurts, especially because of his personal relationship with Abraham’s father.
“I spoke to his father, we grew up together. He would have played for Nigeria,” he added, underlining how close the deal truly was.
Abraham’s career stalls internationally
Since choosing England, Abraham has earned 11 caps and scored three goals for the Three Lions, as seen on Transfermarkt.
However, his international career has failed to gain momentum, with his last appearance for England came in June 2022 in a UEFA Nations League match against Italy, and he has not been recalled since.
Ironically, Abraham’s career has enjoyed more success at club level than with the national team.
The 28-year-old forward has won trophies in Italy with AS Roma, featured for AC Milan on loan, and now returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa following a January move from Besiktas.
Despite his goals across England, Italy and Turkey, Pinnick believes Abraham’s international story might have been different had he chosen Nigeria.
The Super Eagles, he argues, offer more continuity and emotional connection compared to elite European nations, where competition is ruthless and opportunities are limited.
Now 28, Abraham has returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2021 after completing a transfer to Aston Villa, Sky Sports reports.
While his club career continues to evolve, his international future appears settled, and Nigeria’s chance to benefit from his talent is gone.
Eze’s decision to snub Nigeria for England
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Pinnick has shed more light on why Arsenal star Eberechi Eze chose England over Nigeria.
The former chairman of the Delta State Football Association revealed that his first approach to Eze came in 2017, when the midfielder was invited to train with the three-time AFCON champions ahead of an international friendly against Burkina Faso.
Source: Legit.ng
