‘Proud’ Iwobi recalls early challenges after choosing Nigeria
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has spoken candidly about the contrast between the environments of the England national football team and the Nigeria national football team, recalling that his early
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has spoken candidly about the contrast between the environments of the England national football team and the Nigeria national football team, recalling that his early experiences with Nigeria were far less structured.
Iwobi, who represented England at youth level before committing to Nigeria in 2015, explained that England’s setup was significantly more organised.
“Playing for England and playing for Nigeria are very different,” said the Fulham F.C. midfielder. “England is more strict. At St George’s Park or in the hotel, no one is allowed in. Everything is controlled: strict food, strict regime.”
He revealed that things were very different during his early days with Nigeria, particularly regarding travel arrangements and camp organisation.
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“Sometimes your flight is not booked properly and you have to sort it out yourself. When you arrive, sometimes nobody is there to pick you up and you have to find your way to the hotel,” he said.
Iwobi also recalled the challenging training conditions he encountered with the Under-23 team, including pitches with mixed surfaces.
“The pitch we trained on had half grass, half AstroTurf and a bit of sand on the side,” he said.
Despite those early challenges, Iwobi insisted he has no regrets about choosing Nigeria after encouragement from his family.
“It took a lot of convincing at the time, but I have no regrets. I grew up in a Nigerian household, so Nigeria has always been part of me,” he said.
