Tammy Abraham Once Agreed to Play for Super Eagles But Changed His Mind – Pinnick
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has revealed that Tammy Abraham had initially agreed to represent the Super Eagles before ultimately choosing to play international football for England.
Abraham, who recently returned to the Premier League after completing a four-and-a-half-year move to Aston Villa in the January transfer window, was eligible to play for Nigeria through his father despite being born in London.
According to Pinnick, extensive efforts were made by the NFF to convince the striker to switch allegiance to Nigeria before he was capped by England. Speaking on The Playzone and Dangolo Way podcast, Pinnick disclosed that discussions with Abraham had reached an advanced stage before the forward changed his mind at the last minute.
“Tammy Abraham, we sat like this. We had agreed that he would come to play, but at the last moment he changed his decision,” Pinnick said.
The former NFF boss noted that he believed his personal relationship with Abraham’s father would help influence the decision, but the plan did not materialise as expected.
Pinnick used the situation to highlight the long-term benefits of committing to one’s national team, stressing that international football can sustain a player’s career even when club opportunities decline.
“Iwobi is playing for the Super Eagles today. I know the role we played. If Iwobi had played for England, he would have stopped playing for England five or six years ago,” he explained.
“If your football club doesn’t support you, your national team will. The display at the last Africa Cup of Nations was notable.”
Expressing regret over Abraham’s decision, Pinnick suggested the striker’s career trajectory might have been different had he chosen Nigeria.
“Now he’s 28 and has returned to Aston Villa, but I can tell you that I regret it. I spoke to his father, we grew up together.
He would have played for Nigeria. Agbonlahor played three games and that was it.”
Abraham eventually committed to England and has earned 11 caps, scoring three goals for the Three Lions. However, he has not featured for England since a UEFA Nations League match against Italy in June 2022.
The revelation adds to ongoing conversations around Nigeria’s efforts to attract foreign-born talents and the difficult decisions players face when choosing between heritage and birthplace on the international stage.
