England for the English ?

[Jam_Man]

Not a BNP thread this one...

The new rules state that a player who is resident in a nation for X amount of year (I believe 5) can play for that nation as long as they havent played for another.

Therefore the likes of Arteta and Almunia have been touted for England in the past and now Januzaj is being put forward as a player for England despite having born in Belgium to Kosovan-Albanian parents.

One argument is its good enough for the cricket team so should be good enough for football.

My personal opinion is that its pushing it when they start resorting to grand parents, England under Jack Charlton was bad enough (sorry I mean Ireland) and you have English players playing for Scotland. That however pales into insignificance when the player wasnt born here and doesnt even have English parents.

Would you be happy to see the English team featuring foreign players ?

I would rather England didnt do well than rely on foreign players.

(I see Bryan Gunns son who is English has chosen England over Scotland. Good lad, Angus is his name, good English name too).

 

[MK Shrimper]

Have to rely on someone, our home grown talents are (generally) rubbish. :hilarious:

Greg Rudseski and Laura Robson chose Blighty over Canada/Australia in tennis, so it's not just football.

 

[Ricey]

Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Jonathon Trott, Craig Kieswetter..... You get my drift?

 

[EastStandBlue]

I guess it depends entirely on the footballer's personal perception. If you relate this to the Plastic Brits at last year's Olympics, the Daily Mail went to great lengths to assert that Mo Farah was not born in Britain. It was a risible feat because Farah considered himself British and was proud to represent the country that accepted him. Yes, Farah's presence in this country has afforded him access to facilities he wouldn't have in Somalia, but that notion is irrelevant just by listening to him speak of this country.

FIFA's rule should, in my opinion, be used under the exact same circumstances. If someone born of another country considers himself to be more belonging to another through the nationalisation process, then so be it. Do Almunia, Arteta and Januzaj consider themselves British? I wouldn't have thought so (particularly in the case of Januzaj, who has so far resisted overtures from Belgium because his family have urged him to represent their native Albania), so shouldn't even be considered for a call-up.

 

[Jam_Man]

Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Jonathon Trott, Craig Kieswetter..... You get my drift?

Indeed, and Id hate to have a football team made up of foreigners. No idea about the rest of them but KP was brought up in South Africa until his late teens. I dont know how he considers himself to be English.

If you are born in a country and are raised there, thats your nationality in my book. Slightly different if you are born on a military base or something, but just dont get it.

Wifried Zaha for me is pushing it, he came over when he was 4. He was brought up here and as ESB says above may consider himself English as thats all he has known.

I have a Scottish mate who moved down here at age 12 and is now 40 and he would never consider himself English in any way whatsoever, but his kids are English as have never known Scotland.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Have to rely on someone, our home grown talents are (generally) rubbish. :hilarious:

Greg Rudseski and Laura Robson chose Blighty over Canada/Australia in tennis, so it's not just football.

Zola Bud!
club football sees fans looking for locals to get in the team which I always see as positive as I see allegiance as a regional thing, with national teams it should be just that - nationals. Manager too.

 

[Pubey]

Indeed, and Id hate to have a football team made up of foreigners. No idea about the rest of them but KP was brought up in South Africa until his late teens. I dont know how he considers himself to be English.

If you are born in a country and are raised there, thats your nationality in my book. Slightly different if you are born on a military base or something, but just dont get it.

Wifried Zaha for me is pushing it, he came over when he was 4. He was brought up here and as ESB says above may consider himself English as thats all he has known.

I have a Scottish mate who moved down here at age 12 and is now 40 and he would never consider himself English in any way whatsoever, but his kids are English as have never known Scotland.

Strauss moved here when he was 6, but also spent time in Australia. I think if someone moves here when young (maybe under 10) then that's ok. It's when they move here purely for football and haven't represented a nation that it's maybe a bit off. Januzaj is unusual because there are lots of competing countries who want him, and he can basically choose where he goes.

 

[Ricey]

So what about Chris Froome then? He is Kenyan and spent most of his childhood out there but they now claim this as Britains 2nd Tour de France win.

 

[chapperzUK]

Will be a while before he can be eligible though. Needs to be here 5 years and only been here since 2011.

There can be grey areas, but I think this one isn't. He came here aged 16 to play football, not for any other reason. Would feel wrong for someone who has no real connection with our country to represent us.

 

[Rob Noxious]

Indeed, and Id hate to have a football team made up of foreigners. No idea about the rest of them but KP was brought up in South Africa until his late teens. I dont know how he considers himself to be English.

If you are born in a country and are raised there, thats your nationality in my book. Slightly different if you are born on a military base or something, but just dont get it.

Wifried Zaha for me is pushing it, he came over when he was 4. He was brought up here and as ESB says above may consider himself English as thats all he has known.

I have a Scottish mate who moved down here at age 12 and is now 40 and he would never consider himself English in any way whatsoever, but his kids are English as have never known Scotland.

John Barnes was 12 when he came over from Jamaica.

 

[Jam_Man]

So what about Chris Froome then? He is Kenyan and spent most of his childhood out there but they now claim this as Britains 2nd Tour de France win.

Same goes for anyone for me. If you arent born in the country you shouldnt play for them.

Not so bad for Froome in the TDF because it isnt the English team he is part of, when he

John Barnes was 12 when he came over from Jamaica.

Certainly did and again I personally dont want to see it happening.

 

[Jam_Man]

Will be a while before he can be eligible though. Needs to be here 5 years and only been here since 2011.

There can be grey areas, but I think this one isn't. He came here aged 16 to play football, not for any other reason. Would feel wrong for someone who has no real connection with our country to represent us.

Glad to see Im not the only one.

They were talking about it on Talksport on the way home and saying they didnt have a problem with it and then asked an irish guy if they minded having the Jack Charlton years. Whats was the guy mean to say ? Ireland would never have competed without the English players, and at least they had some ancestory, we are able to qualify and match most teams, if we have to start taking foreign players to win games I really dont see the point in international football. It doesnt have the same gravitas it used to anyway, to dilute the team would be terrible.

 

[Ricey]

The Germans have a few polish players that play for them.

Patrick Vieira was born in Senegal.

 

[Jam_Man]

Alessandro Santos is the best example.

Brazillian and playing for Japan. W. T. F.

 

[chapperzUK]

Alessandro Santos is the best example.

Brazillian and playing for Japan. W. T. F.

Remember when Chris Birchall played for Trinidad and Tobago in the World Cup?

 

[Ricey]

I was just about to mention that one chapz. I think his is more crazy.

 

[buffalowolf]

Bugger me! Australia would be in trouble then :omg::smile:

 

[Uncle Leo]

Same goes for anyone for me. If you arent born in the country you shouldnt play for them.
.

Terry Butcher. Born in Singapore.

 

[ian_the_girth]

Johnathan de Guzman is a good one

Born in Canada to Jamacian & Filipino parents.
Currently on loan from Villareal in Spain to Swansea a Welsh club who play in the EPL.

Oh, and he plays for Holland btw :stunned:

 

[chapperzUK]

Owen Hargreaves was born in Canada and don't think he ever lived in England before getting his first cap.

If someone was born in a different country, moved to England when they were young and consider themselves to be English then I don't see a problem with them representing our country.

As for someone like Januzaj, who was 16 when he moved here and I highly doubt he considers himself to be English, then I'm afraid it is a no from me.