England’s football community is in lamentation over their country’s inability to hook Bayern Munich of Germany dazzler, Michael Olise before he switched allegiance to France and is now making waves at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sports247 reports that, while Nigerian fans are also nibbling at their fingers with thoughts about what the former Crystal Palace of England sensation could have been doing with the Super Eagles, similar sentiments are rolling across Queensland.
This follows ripple effects now emerging from Olise’s decision to commit his international future to France, where his mother hails from, instead of opting for his father’s country, Nigeria, or the nation in which he was born and cut his teeth in football, England.
Many football fans in Nigeria and England are talking about what could have been like with Olise in their team, after he inspired a huge comeback for France against Senegal, much to the delight of Les Bleus’ coach, Didier Deschamps.
“We were much better with Michael positioned in the heart of midfield. It brought much more cohesion. His passing quality allows us to find our attackers. Michael can play on both sides, but the more he gets on the ball, the better,” said Deschamps.
Those words stirred the hornets’ nest in England, where the media is now abuzz with a suggestion that the country’s football egg heads did not do anything about luring Olise away from the grip of France and they never tried to get him into The Three Lions.
A report by UK’s Mirror noted, “Born in Hammersmith and brought up in London by his British-Nigerian father and French-Algerian mother, Olise had four options (but) said it had always been his ‘dream’ to play for the French national team.
“The Football Association would argue that Olise committing himself to England was never a possibility, but there is also no doubt that the FA have never had an overly aggressive approach to convincing players with multi-national options.
“Back in 2017, (England’s former manager, Gareth) Southgate said: ‘If you don’t feel that internal 100 percent passion for playing for England, then I’m not sure it’s for me to sell that to you. It should be your desire. It should be them coming to us.”
Sports247 reports further that, though three other Nigerian-born players – Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze – are in England’s current team, emotions are still in a turmoil over their inability to get Olise as well.
