Blow for Super Eagles As Crystal Palace Wonderkid Isaac Ogunrinde Set To Choose England Over Nigeria
- England have invited Isaac Ogunrinde to a Young Lions camp, giving them an early edge in securing his allegiance
- The 14-year-old has already debuted for Crystal Palace’s U18s and is valued for his versatility across the back line
- Nigeria risk losing another dual-eligible talent, following a pattern seen with players like Saka and Eze
Crystal Palace’s teenage sensation Isaac Ogunrinde is emerging as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in English football, and an international tug-of-war is already taking shape around his future.
With England making the first formal move to secure his allegiance, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland may be facing an uphill task to convince the highly-rated youngster to wear their colours.
Source: Instagram
The English Football Association currently appear to be in pole position in the race for Ogunrinde’s international future.
Born in Dublin in August 2011, the 14-year-old defender is eligible to represent three nations, including the Republic of Ireland by birth, Nigeria through his father, and England through residency and development.
England have wasted little time in showing serious intent.
Ogunrinde has been invited to join a Young Lions training camp in Cyprus, where England’s U15 side will spend a week preparing for friendly matches against the United States and Cyprus.
The invitation is a clear signal of how highly the 14-year-old defender is rated within the English setup and reflects the FA’s long-standing strategy of securing dual-eligible talents early.
Such early exposure to England’s youth structure often plays a decisive role in shaping a player’s international pathway, giving Ogunrinde a taste of the environment, coaching standards, and long-term vision offered by the Three Lions.
Ogunrinde’s rapid rise at Crystal Palace
Ogunrinde’s progress at club level explains why international interest is growing so quickly.
Despite being in his early teens, the Nigeria-eligible defender has already made his debut for Crystal Palace’s U18 side, Sports247 reports.
Primarily a centre-back, Ogunrinde is admired for his versatility. He is comfortable operating in a back three or back four and can also be deployed as a right-sided centre-back, right wing-back, or even right-back when required.
His composure on the ball and physical development have marked the teenager out as a defender with elite potential.
According to Ballerzscout, Ogunrinde joined Crystal Palace around three years ago after being scouted while playing for grassroots club Cray Valley.
Since then, his steady climb through the academy ranks has reinforced the belief that he could one day become a Premier League regular.
Nigeria face a familiar challenge
For Nigeria, Ogunrinde’s situation reflects a recurring dilemma.
Several players with Nigerian heritage have chosen England over the Super Eagles in recent years, including Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Dele Alli, and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
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Aston Villa forward Tammy Abraham was also on Nigeria's shortlist before the former Chelsea star picked the Three Lions over the Super Eagles.
Ogunrinde could soon be added to that list if the current trajectory continues.
Ironically, Crystal Palace’s own academy graduate Victor Moses once made the opposite choice.
After representing England at youth level, Moses committed to Nigeria at senior level and went on to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, becoming a key figure in Stephen Keshi’s squad.
England call 3 Nigeria-eligible players
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the England Football Association has announced three promising players of Nigerian descent in their squad for the upcoming Football Federation Cup in Antalya, Turkey.
The trio, Emmanuel Fejokwu, David Eze, and Joshua Abe, have been included in England’s 23-man team for the tournament, a move that could further reduce Nigeria’s chances of convincing them to switch allegiance.
Source: Legit.ng
