Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha could still reject England despite receiving a call-up to the pre-World Cup camp. The 17-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Liverpool, making 18 appearances and netting twice.
Pre-World Cup Friendlies
Consequently, Thomas Tuchel has brought in Ngumoha alongside Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, Bournemouth's Alex Scott, and Fulham's Josh King for the pre-tournament friendlies against New Zealand in Tampa and Costa Rica in Orlando. All four are expected to feature as Tuchel carefully manages the players' workloads in the 26-man tournament squad. However, even if Ngumoha takes to the pitch, he won't be committed to the Three Lions.
Eligibility Rules
A regulation introduced in 2021 permits players who have earned up to three senior international caps before turning 21 to change allegiances. Previously, the rule stated that players could not switch nations after earning a senior cap in a competitive match. England midfielder Declan Rice took advantage of this rule when switching from the Republic of Ireland. Rice earned three senior caps for the Republic, all in friendlies, before choosing to represent England in 2019.
Other Options
Ngumoha is actually eligible to represent three other nations: France, Nigeria, and Guadeloupe. Born in London, his mother hails from Guadeloupe, an overseas department and region of France, which makes him eligible for the two-time World Cup winners. His father, meanwhile, is Nigerian, meaning the African nation also remains an option. Having already represented England at youth level, the country of his birth still appears the most likely destination for his international future, though it is far from certain despite his recent senior call-up.
Tuchel's Comments
Speaking about the roles of Ngumoha, Nwaneri, King, and Scott, Tuchel said: "We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players. I'm happy to have these players, especially Alex, who was on the [long] list of 55 [players for the 26-man World Cup squad] and obviously he didn't make the first cut. But the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him. That showed me his character and I'm delighted he'll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap."
