It was supposed to be a done deal.
When Folarin Balogun — a talented young striker born in the U.S. with Nigerian heritage and British citizenship — received his invitation to play for the England U21 team this week, fans around the world let out a collective exhale. It’s rare for a player to be eligible for three different national teams, and while Balogun had not officially made his choice, his participation in the England youth system felt like a clear signal from the young man. Forget the U.S. and Nigeria. England it was, then.
When Lee Carsley, coach of the U21 England squad, confirmed that Balogun left the camp with an injury Tuesday, no one in the media questioned it. Sure, it was weird that Reims, his club team in France, didn’t have any record of Balogun’s supposed injury, but these things happen. No one wants to ruin his club form on international duty.
