Oxford United teenager with dual citizenship Pelumi Maxwell opts to play for Nigeria

ENGLISH-born teenage defender Pelumi Maxwell has become the latest footballer with dual nationality to pledge his allegiance to Nigeria saying he is even hopefully of being invited to the Flying Eagles camp for the U21 World Cup.

Pelumi, 19, is currently the captain of English Football League One side Oxford United plays mainly as a right full back and is regularly compared with Manchester City Portuguese Defender Jao Cancelo. Regarded as a promising player, by the English media, Pelumi is mainly known for his speed, energy and offensive capabilities, as well as his technique, dribbling skills, creativity and crossing ability

Eligible to play for both Nigeria and England, Maxwell said he would rather opt for the country of his parents. If Maxwell gets to play for the Flying Eagles, it will totally eliminate the need for any Fifa switch in the future.

Maxwell said: "I like to express myself and work very hard on and off the pitch. I have great passion for winning and always do everything not to lose games.

"It has always been a dream to wear the famous green and white colours of Nigeria. My Dad loves Nigeria a lot and would be proud if I play for them, starting from the Flying Eagles.

"I want to be a patriotic and committed footballer, who will never turn his back on the nation when given the opportunity to play for the good people of Nigeria. I believe I have what it takes to play for Nigeria National U-20 side, the Flying Eagles and possibly the Super Eagles in the near future.

"I definitely have a lot of great qualities I would bring to the team. My defensive attributes is one of the best, as a player, I love to operate from the right side and make good crosses for attackers to score, while recovering very well at full back.

"I also love to bring my winning mentality to the team, as captain of Oxford United U-23 side, I have been able to grow as a player, even though am just 19 years old. It has really helped me psychologically and I hope to bring that maturity to the national team, if given the opportunity.

He added that he is aware of the fact that even if he in invited to join the team, he will have to fight for a shirt, which will not be easy. Maxwell, who is a huge supporter of the Super Eagles, said he has been keeping tabs on the Super Eagles last round of game against the Black Stars of Ghana for the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers and is confident Nigeria has all it takes to qualify for the biggest football event in the world.

"We are definitely going to qualify for the World Cup because we have quality players that can push us and the Black Stars can't stop us from achieving that aim. I believe we will also do exceptionally well at the World Cup because I have faith in the team," Maxwell added.