Brighton and Hove Albion’s Tariq Lamptey has been named in England’s Under-21s squad for this month’s Uefa European Championship qualifiers.
The leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has held meetings with the entourage of the exciting youngster over a possible switch of allegiance to Ghana at the senior level.
The 21-year-old has been playing for his country of birth since 2018 — from Under-18s to Under-21s.
Lamptey, born in London to Ghanaian parents, is still eligible for both the Black Stars and the Three Lions as he’s yet to make a senior appearance for England.
He is making a return to England’s U-21s team after missing out on their November 2021 camp because of an injury.
England’s U-21s will host Andorra on March 25 in the 2023 U-21 European Championship qualifying before a trip to face Albania at the Elbasan Arena on 29 March.
Lee Carsley has named his latest #YoungLions squad! 👊
— England (@England) March 18, 2022
GFA emphatic on Lamptey interest
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, was very emphatic in 2020 about their resolve to convince Lamptey to choose Ghana over England at senior level.
“We are following every top Ghanaian talent you may have seen on your screens,” Okraku told Hello FM in 2020.
“Someone like Tariq Lamptey. We have been speaking with his family, to make sure that having identified him as a top talent we will bring him to represent our country.
“In the same vein, other people are also talking to him and his family to represent another country [England].
“The national team is for Ghanaians. It doesn’t mean only those who reside in Ghana, but every Ghanaian across the world.
“For which reason, it would be suicidal for us not to search everywhere in the world to find the right talents for Ghana.”
By Adamu Benin Abdul Karim | www.sportyafrica.com
