Super Eagles AFCON 2025 Star Explains Why He Chose Nigeria Over England
- Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has explained why he chose to play for Nigeria over England
- Osayi-Samuel was born in Nigeria and raised in England before making his Super Eagles debut in 2022
- The Birmingham City star has featured at two Africa Cup of Nations for the Nigerian national team
- A Nigerian football critic disagrees with Osayi-Samuel over his choice of playing for Nigeria over England
Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has explained why he chose to represent Nigeria over England despite being eligible for both countries.
Osayi-Samuel was born in Nigeria before his family migrated to Spain, moving to England when he was 10 years old, where he began his football career.
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He came through Blackpool’s academy, made his senior debut in 2015, and moved to Queens Park Rangers.
He spent four years in Turkey before returning to England in the summer of 2025.
On the international stage, he made his debut for Nigeria on November 17, 2022, playing the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 friendly loss to Portugal.
Osayi-Samuel explains why he chose Nigeria
Nearly four years after making his international debut, the Birmingham City star has opened up on why he chose Nigeria over England.
The defender, who did not play youth football for any country, admits that choosing to play for Nigeria was influenced by his upbringing in the Nigerian culture.
“For me, because I was so heavily influenced by my country, with my dad and mum immersing me in Nigerian culture, going to Nigerian weddings, enjoying the food and everything,” he told Omasports.
He added that English players play for their country, and even though playing for England might seem better in terms of football, many other things are missing.
“In terms of the togetherness and the vibes, I don’t think you would see that playing for England. Of course, football comes first,” he added.
He cited an example of the friendship between Fulham trip, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze, claiming the same energy is transferred to the national team.
“You never see any negativity; even the players who don’t play are smiling and looking forward to the game and training. This is one of the reasons I will always choose Nigeria first,” he continued.
“Nigeria is a country my mum and dad are very proud of, and I'm proud of it as well. For me to receive a call-up was an honour.”
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The former Fenerbahce star added that his family trained him in the Nigerian culture, and he ate the Nigerian food, which made it easy for him to accept the call-up.
Osayi-Samuel started his career as a winger and, according to statistics from Transfermarkt, has played in all positions on the pitch except centre-back.
He added that earning a Nigerian call-up encouraged him to get better in the right-back position.
He has 32 caps and has featured at two major tournaments, including AFCON 2025.
Nigerian football critic, Johnson Opeisa, claims that it has become a trend to justify why players of multiple nationalities choose to play for Nigeria, but it is unnecessary.
“It's cliché at this point. Let's be honest here, he played for the country that invited him. England never considered him, and he never even featured for their youth teams,” he said.
“As at the time he made his debut for Nigeria, England had eight right-backs playing in the Premier League, including Kyle Walker, Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier. What was his chance?”
Eric Chelle praises Osayi-Samuel
Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle had praised Osayi-Samuel as one of the unsung heroes for the Super Eagles at the AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
The Birmingham City star stepped up massively in the absence of Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina, who was sidelined with an injury.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
