On loan Napoli midfielder Michael Folorunsho hasn’t close the door on playing for the senior national team of Nigeria despite getting his first call up to the senior national team of Italy.
Folorunsho caught the attention of the coach of the senior national team of Italy Roberto Mancini with his all around performance for Serie B side Bari. He has been every present for the 5th placed team who are pushing for promotion to the Italian Serie A.
He has played all but one of their 22 games this season with the only game he missed coming when he was suspended. That consistent run didn’t go unnoticed and the 24 year old who is eligible for Nigeria through his parents got a shock call up to the Italian senior national team.
He was invited by Mancini to a camping exercise meant for players of national interest to Italy playing in the lower division but he was unable to honour the call up due to an injury picked up while on club duties, few days before the start of the camp.
Despite that he is still open to the idea of playing for Nigeria according to one of his representatives who replied a mail sent to him by the editorial team of OGN on the chances of the highly rated midfielder playing for Nigeria after the call up by Italy.
” There have been no contact with Nigeria but it is something he is open to because he feels Nigerian. When the coach (Jose Peseiro) makes the move then we will decide, for now it’s just Italy and that is where his mind is at the moment”, he said in his reply.
Daniel Martins