Why Luton's Ross Barkley rejected Super Eagles due to his Nigerian father

Ross Barkley turned down the opportunity to represent Nigeria's Super Eagles on the international level due to his father.

The Luton Town midfielder was born in Liverpool to a Nigerian father and a British mother, thus, the 30-year-old was eligible to play for the West African country.

But Barkley, who has dual citizenship - Nigeria and England - chose to represent the European powerhouse, the country of his birth.

As per Allnigeriasoccer, Barkley considered playing for Nigeria before making his competitive debut for England's senior squad in 2013.

There were talks of him representing Nigeria at the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Mali after he announced that the three-time African champions were one of the countries he could have represented apart from England.

But Barkley opted against that decision after his father, Peter Effanga, abandoned him one year after he was born.

His mother, Diane Barkley, took care of him from infancy till he was all grown up.

Barkley then decided to bear his mother's maiden name instead of his father's name, Effanga.

Per Tuko, Barkley's father is an automobile engineer who works for the Getrag Ford Transmission plant. His mother, on the other hand, is a housewife.

Several Nigerian internationals have played for Chelsea, also players with Nigerian roots. Name me your top 3 from these 6 players. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/ajemcjViCq

— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) February 8, 2021