The French Football Federation (FFF) has initiated steps to convince AS Monaco striker George Ilenikhena to feature for the France national team.

Born in Lagos, the young talented forward moved to France at age three and remains eligible to play for both Nigeria and France at the international level.

OwnGoalNigeria reports that interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen reached out to the player last year to convince him to commit his international future to Nigeria.

The 18-year-old joined the Ligue 1 side this summer in a deal believed to be around the region of €17 million.

His first major impact came in the UEFA Champions League first round of matches, as he scored the winner in Monaco's 2-1 victory over La Liga leaders Barcelona last month.

Fans may recall that Ilenikhena had scored the winner in Royal Antwerp's 3-2 win against the same opponent last season.

French publication RMC reports that Hubert Fournier, the technical director of the FFF, has begun the process of naturalizing the player to make him eligible to feature for the France U-21 team, with plans for him to represent Les Bleus in the near future.