England U15 coach invites Nigeria-eligible teenage defender Isaac Ogunrinde to camp

ENGLAND U15 coach Matt Thorpe has invited Nigeria-eligible teenage centreback Isaac Ogunrinde to the Young Lions training camp in Cyprus in a development that could lead to him ending up playing for England ahead of the Super Eagles.

Ogunrinde, 14, was born in Dublin in August 2011, making him eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, Nigeria and England. Regarded as one for the future, Ogunrinde made his debut for Crystal Palace U18s in his first year as a teenager, underlining the high esteem in which he is held at the club.

It is thus no surprise that the English authorities have been keeping a close eye on him, hence why he got his first call-up to the U15 camp. During their week-long stay in Cyprus, England's U15 side are scheduled to face the United States and Cypriot national teams in friendly fixtures.

Ogunrinde is highly versatile, primarily operating as a centre-back in either a back three or back four, while also capable of featuring as a right-sided centre-back, right wing-back or right-back depending on the tactical setup. He  joined Crystal Palace three years ago after being spotted while representing grassroots side Cray Valley.

Notably, in years gone by, Crystal Palace academy graduate Victor Moses opted to represent Nigeria at senior level, having previously featured for England at youth level. Palace have a good record of producing Nigerian talent as the likes of John Salako, Ebere Eze and Victor Moses all came through their ranks.