While being called up to represent your country is a great honor in sport, it can also raise questions about cultural identity for those with dual nationalities.
Jamal Musiala is just one of many footballers that are eligible to represent more countries. He scored for EnglandIn November 2020, the Under-21s won a 5-0 win over Albania. He was finally released seven months later. Germany’s senior side during their 2-0 loss to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020.
“I have a heart for Germany and a heart for England,” Musiala told The AthleticLast year. “Both hearts will keep beating. I listened to my gut feeling over time, which kept telling me that it was the right thing to play for Germany. Germany is the country I was born in. Still, it wasn’t an easy decision.”
Tariq LampteyAnother player who is dual eligible. He was an inactive substitute for England’s Under-21 team against Albania in November 2020. Since then, he has decided to represent Ghana and made the senior debut in September.
Tariq Lamptey and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, their Ghana team-mate, during their match against Brazil. (Photo: ANP via Getty Images).
Crystal PalaceWinger Michael OliseCapitulated by FranceEngland may still be represented at the Under-18 and Under-21 levels. NigeriaOder AlgeriaSenior level FIFA rules They were last updated in 2020Players who have played in less than three senior tournaments may switch, provided they were younger than 21 years old. They must have played for the same team at least three years ago.
Former Tottenham HotspurAnd LiverpoolBefore the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Steven Caulker, defender, switched to Sierra Leone. He had previously made one appearance against England in a friendly. SwedenHe represented Great Britain at 2012 Olympics. However, his grandfather William was from Bonthe, Sierra Leone. The defender told The Athletic that representing the African nation was “more than about just playing football”.
How can players decide which country they should represent? Is it better to choose the country where they were born or the one that calls them first? What if their family is closer to where they were born? And should a team’s competitiveness be a consideration?
The Athletic examined what it’s like to play for a country you didn’t grow up in.
Gavin Hoyte began a career in Arsenal’s academy, following in the footsteps of his older brother Justin. Arsene Weiner gave him his debut as an intern in 2007. FA CupFifth-round replay against Blackburn Rovers.
He received a letter from the Post stating that he was selected to represent England in the Under-17 European Championship. He played in two tournaments, but was not selected to play in the final. Spain won 1-0.
England qualified for the Under-17 World Cup, South Korea. But, before that started, Hoyte found himself in a confused position. His father, Les, was born in Trinidad & Tobago and they would be competing too.
“Liam Brady (Arsenal’s head of youth development and academy director at the time) called me into his office and said Trinidad wanted me to represent them,” Hoyte tells The Athletic.
“I was born in England and at the time I had never been to Trinidad. They had already qualified and I didn’t feel I had the right to change and take somebody else’s place who maybe deserved it more than me for Trinidad.
“I was playing for Arsenal and doing quite well. A lot of boys dream of playing for England at Wembley and I just wanted to try and do that.”
Hoyte featured in all of England’s matches at the tournament, but they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Germany while Trinidad & Tobago finished bottom of their group.
The defender’s career progressed and in November 2008, he made his Premier League debut as a substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. He joined after signing a long-term contract. Watford on loan for the rest of the season, and went on to represent England’s under-18s, under-19s and under-20s.
Hoyte plays for England’s Under-19s against Germany’s Under-19s in 2008. Photo by Jamie McDonald via Getty Images
He never made a name for himself at Arsenal. He had loans to Brighton & Hove Albion, Lincoln City and AFC WimbledonHe was released in 2012, however. He joined League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge and his performances caught the attention of Trinidad & Tobago’s manager.
“I got a message from the manager Stephen Hart,” Gavin says. “He said, ‘We have got some games coming up and I want you to join us because you would be a good addition’. He then gave me a call and he was so encouraging it made my decision very easy.”
Hoyte was summoned up to two friendlies in June 2014. The squad met on the main island where Hoyte was able to explore the area his grandfather and father grew up.
“A few of the players used to take me out, show me around town and get street food,” he says. “They could have thought, ‘He is a foreigner, he is not actually one of us. I don’t really want to speak to him’. But they weren’t like that at all. They were very good to me.”
In their 3-0 defeat, he was substituted. Argentina, a game in which his brother Justin also played, having similarly switched from England youth levels to Trinidad & Tobago. It was Argentina’s penultimate warm-up match before the World CupIt was played in Brazil at the Estadio Monumental.
“I just tried my best to take it all in,” Hoyte says. “I was playing for Dagenham in League Two in front of not that many fans and then suddenly you’re playing in Buenos Aires. Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria were all there.
“It was packed with Argentinians and there was this little section of Trinidad fans making as much noise. My dad was probably there, and would have loved it. My grandad passed away, but he used to keep all the newspaper clippings about our careers so he would have been proud too.”
Hoyte was also on the bench for a friendly against IranHe had to wait more than 12 months until he made his next appearance in the 2-1 victory over Panama. It turned out to be the final time he would play for Trinidad & Tobago. The 32-yearold is now playing for fifth-tier side Maidstone United.
“To represent a country at any level is a big thing,” Hoyte says. “It’s definitely one of my biggest achievements along with making my debut in the Premier League. I’ve got a picture up on my wall in my bedroom of me and my brother in our Trinidad tracksuits at (Argentina’s) stadium.
“I still look back and think representing England at youth level was a massive achievement too, if you think of how many players there are in England. I didn’t make it to the senior side, but that’s just football.”
Krystian Pearce was Hoyte’s team-mate at the Under-17 World Cup. He now plays for Kidderminster Harriers and he wanted to represent England at senior-level. However, when that didn’t happen, he contemplated switching to Barbados.
Emmerson Boyson, the Barbados captain who he played for, tried to contact him. Wigan AthleticI emailed between 2006 and 2015 but didn’t receive a reply. A couple of years later, Pearce’s dad was on holiday in Barbados and attended the same function as Al Walcott, the vice president of the Barbados Football Association. Pearce’s desire to represent the country was brought up and within a few weeks, the process to make it official was underway. The Birmingham Cityacademy product flew out for the paperwork.
Pearce’s mum is from Jamaica but he has never visited the island. The family traveled to Barbados every year during Pearce’s childhood. Their relatives still reside in Saint Philip on South Coast and attend Crop Over, an annual festival celebrating culture, art, and music on the island.
“I think a lot of players who change nations do it because they don’t feel that they get fairly treated and there happens to be a lot of black players that feel that way,” Pearce tells The Athletic. “That is why a lot of countries are now calling for English players to represent their heritage and their parents’ countries rather than the country they were born in.
Krystian Parce represented England Under-19s in 2008. (Photo by Gary M Prior via Getty Images).
“My main reason was I hold Barbados close to my heart. It was almost a way to say thank you for my family. Without my dad taking me to training every day, travelling up and down the country to my games, I wouldn’t have been able to live this dream.
“So I thought at least once let me go play for Barbados in Barbados and let my dad witness it. That would be the icing on the cake for my career.”
Pearce was joined by Hallam Hope in making his debut for Barbados against Guyana in September 2018, in a 2-2 draw in a CONCACAF Nations League qualifying game. Although they were newcomers, the duo was expected to bring experience and leadership.
“It was a lot of the local boys who were playing and the standard of coaching isn’t as high as other countries,” Pearce says. “They looked at me to be a player-coach and I was making my debut. I was also carrying a knock, so I was hoping to get through this game.
“Initially I was disappointed because we didn’t win, but it was a wow factor for my family. It’s humbling and something I can look back on with pride.”
CONCACAF threatened to end Hope’s dream of playing for Barbados. The ruling body declared Hope and Pearce ineligible, and awarded Guyana victory with a score of 3-0. Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed, the country’s technical director, delivered the news to Pearce.
“Initially I thought it was going to be a quick fix,” he says. “But then the longer it dragged on, especially because Hallam’s situation got sorted quickly, it got to a point where I thought I might not actually get another opportunity to play. To find out what I could do, I spoke to a lot of people. Then I got told there was going to be a rule change within a couple of months and I just had to wait it out.”
In December 2020, FIFA approved Pearce’s change of nationality. Pearce made his Barbados debut in a 1-0 defeat against Panama in March 2021 in a World Cup qualifying match. While the centre-back has made several appearances in the meantime, he has yet to play a competitive match for Barbados. The wait to complete his father’s dream drags on for a little bit longer.
“I want to experience success with Barbados and be able to say I was part of the team that qualified for a major tournament or a world ranking that’s higher than it’s ever been before,” he says.
“I want to contribute on and off the field. I want to help the next generation thrive, not just to play in my local league but to be able make a living playing football. So we’re at the stage now where we have a few players starting to go overseas. We are on the right track and long may it continue.”
Brandon Comley grew up knowing that part of his family were from Saint Lucia, but at the age of 19, he discovered he was eligible to represent Montserrat in what he called “bonkers” circumstances.
“One day, my brother (James) had a conversation with my dad and explained to him that one of our friends we grew up with was playing for Montserrat,” Comley tells The Athletic “We would always say to each other, ‘Wow, we wish we could do that’.
“My dad just turned around to my brother and said, ‘Why don’t you go?’. My brother said, ‘What are you on about? We’re not from there’. Our grandad was actually originally from there, but he settled in Saint Lucia with his nan. We always visited Saint Lucia because that’s where a lot of my dad’s family were living. Montserrat never got mentioned to us.”
Brandon Comley, in Green, plays for Montserrat, 2021 (Photo: Chandan Kanna/ AFP via Getty Images).
Montserrat called up James, five years younger than Brandon, for the first time on September 15, 2015. Brandon made his debut in a 2-1 defeat to El Salvador in September 2018.
“I hadn’t actually visited before,” he says. “Getting to the place was crazy because you take a flight from England, go to Antigua, and then you get on these small little charter flights to hop between the islands. One of the planes crashed just before we set out. So whenever you go on them you get shaky, you’re sweating, it’s hot. You don’t know whether the plane is going to get taken by some wind.
“But when I arrived, there was this sense of home. Everyone is so warm and welcoming. England is a beautiful country. But, over there people treat you like family. It doesn’t matter whether you’re related to them or whatever. It felt so natural and comfortable. It was great vibes and on game days they’ve got records and a sound system playing.
“When I first stepped out on the pitch I was in shock. Every kid’s dream is to play international football. It was amazing for me to accomplish this feat and be on the same pitch as my older brother. This is something that we had hoped for since we were young. That was magical and it was a proud moment for my family.”
Comley’s highlight so far has been playing for Montserrat in the first preliminary round of qualification for the 2021 Gold Cup. They faced Trinidad & Tobago in Florida, at Inter Miami’s stadium, but lost 6-1. Montserrat has never been to a major tournament but their performances have improved and they are currently ranked 179th place in the worldThey played only their first match as FIFA member in 1991.
🎥 Highlights: @TTFootballAssoc 🇹🇹 defeats #Monserrat 🇲🇸 6-1 at DRV PNK Stadium in the first round of #GoldCup21 🏆 Prelims#ThisIsOurs pic.twitter.com/kKe8gJv5hy
— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) July 3, 2021
The southernmost part of the country has the Soufriere Hills volcano. After a long period in dormancy it became active in 1995, destroying the capital of Plymouth. Access to a large portion of the island is now restricted. Comley feels that the national team helped to unify people, even though the volcano is still active.
“There are still bits of ash floating around,” he says. “It’s sad to see what has happened — it has set the country back. Many of the boys give clothes and other items to the children. It’s a great thing to see that what we are doing is helping and bringing a lot of good energy and vibes to the country.”
Comely, who plays on Walsall’s side, was born in Islington in north London but is now representing a country that lies over 4,000 miles to the west. Is it strange to think that 26-year old Comely grew up dreaming about playing for England at World Cup?
“I always look back on the conversation my brother had with my dad and think it must have been fate. It was fate.
“I was born and bred in England. I love the country I live in. When we were competing at the Gold Cup during the Euros, we would still tune in to England’s games. I will definitely be supporting England (at the World Cup), but if I was playing against them I wouldn’t want them to win.”
(Top photo: Steven Caulker representing Sierra Leone; photo taken by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
