Chelsea striker Armando Broja has revealed that choosing to represent Albania over England was an 'easy decision', driven by his Albanian heritage and a desire to make his family proud. The 19-year-old, born in Slough, is set to make his third senior appearance for Albania against England on Sunday.
Broja, who has Albanian parents and visits the country annually, told Goal: 'I have got Albanian blood in me, I am Albanian, my parents are Albanian so it was an easy decision. I wanted to lift Albania up as a country to get us to the World Cup or Euros.' He added that qualifying for a major tournament would be 'crazy' and make history for the nation.
The forward, who joined Chelsea's academy in 2009 after spells with Fulham and Tottenham, has one senior appearance for the Blues. Currently on loan at Vitesse, he has scored nine goals in 23 Eredivisie games this season. Broja credits a tough spell with Chelsea's U18s, where he scored only two goals, as a turning point. A call-up to Albania's U19s in the summer boosted his confidence, leading to six goals in four games and a subsequent resurgence at Chelsea.
Broja reflected: 'I was really down... then I had a boost from my mum and dad that Albania called me. I went there, played four games and scored six goals. It kickstarted and continued until I am here now.' He acknowledged that being a full international at 19 is a significant achievement, especially as a Chelsea player.
