Former Super Eagles coach Festus Adegboye Onigbinde has called for caution over reports that steps are already been made to recruit pacy Everton Winger and Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman to play for the country.
He believes Everton’s rave of the moment Ademola Lookman should not be forced to play for the country.
Lookman, 19, made the headlines after he came on as a substitute to devastating effect against Manchester City in the Premier League last Sunday, rounding off a 4-0 rout for the Toffees.
Amid talks of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr recruiting the lad for the national team, Onigbinde has come out to say the youngster should be allowed to decide if he wants to play for Nigeria.
“There is no gainsaying that the player is talented, which is why Nigeria can decide to go after him and try to woo him for the Eagles. There are other players of Nigerian descent out there who aren’t being brought back home,” he told Punch
“But I will call for caution in the approach to the issue as the boy should not be forced to play for the country. He should be allowed to make his choice just like the others before him did. The choice he makes will influence his commitment to whichever country he chooses to play for.
“But the best way to get players for the national team is to develop the game on the home front first. That will solve the problem of Nigeria’s overreliance on the overseas-based players. When we develop the game at home, the players out there will only be additions to the best players we have at home, who would have formed the nucleus of the national team.
