Nobby Solano has admitted he hated seeing Cole Palmer turn down the chance to play for England during the Three Lions' UEFA Nations League series this autumn. The former Newcastle star, now manager of Pakistan, picked up 95 international caps for Peru during his playing career and would never dream of turning down the chance to wear the distinctive red sashed shirts of his country. Without playing on the international stage, Solano admits his Premier League career may have been nothing but a pipe dream.
International football's magic
Solano is being slightly modest, having played alongside Diego Maradona for Boca Juniors before Kenny Dalglish sanctioned a £2.5m move for him in 1998. But he prays that the magic of playing international football never dies, even if he is trying to sell a dream to a country obsessed with cricket.
Solano said: "I saw Cole Palmer had pulled out of the England squad and I hate to see that for any country. I guess with Pakistan, we are at the other end of the spectrum, ranked at 198, but the pride in representing your country should be there for everybody."
"I look at boys like Cole and think you could be anything you like on the international stage. But then he is probably picking up £200,000 a week or more, and he has it all at Chelsea."
"English players are very lucky really, they get to play in the Champions League and the best league in the world every weekend, maybe he thinks he could do without the UEFA Nations League."
"I don't know, but I know for sure, lads like me would have been nothing without our countries, that's where we were spotted playing by scouts to get a big money move to Argentina or England like me."
Pakistan's football journey
"And that's what I tell these boys now on their journey with Pakistan. We're on the big stage with FIFA at the Asean Cup now in the Far East and people are watching from around the world. Pulling on the shirt is something money can't give you."
The challenge for Solano to find the quality young stars to put Pakistan on the football map is a tough one, not least in the country which won the Cricket World Cup in 1992. Solano admits: "I know in South America and in Europe, everywhere you look kids are playing football in the street, here they play cricket from an early age."
"At the moment, there's no league in the Pakistan football. So we are just searching with the Pakistan FA for boys, born here or connected here, from families in England, in Sweden, and Denmark. The journey starts here really."
Despite not having a domestic competition, Pakistan are currently in action at the inaugural edition of the FIFA ASEAN Cup in Hong Kong, China and Indonesia. Solano - ably assisted by ex-Newcastle star Titus Bramble - kicked off their tournament with a 4-0 defeat to Thailand.
Step by step development
It may look like a thumping but bearing in mind Thailand are ranked 92nd in the world compared to Pakistan in 198. The dream is to qualify for a World Cup, but for now Solano is going step by step.
Earlier this year Pakistan won the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament beating Afghanistan in the final 2-0 and the hosts the Maldives.
Solano said: "It's step by step in development. The dream is to qualify for the Asian Cup or the World Cup. We have national teams in front of us like Iran, Iraq, Qatar or Saudi Arabia who have built up to a high level and they play regularly at the World Cup, we'd love to follow them."
