Nigeria is interested in having ex Denmark U21 midfielder Philip Anyawu Billing switch allegiance to the Super Eagles according to coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr.
Billing is born to a Nigerian father and a Danish mother and he has never hidden his love for Nigeria even though he has represented Denmark at various youth level.
This season he has emerged as one of the stars of English Premier League side Huddersfield Town as he has cemented his spot in the first team of the squad after progressing through the ranks at the club.
As reported by Owngoalnigeria.com last month, Rohr has mandated his head scout Tunde Adelakun to speak with the 22 year old and in a chat with sports editors in Lagos yesterday, the coach mentioned him as one of the players he has on his radar.
Rohr however said the players have to be committed to playing for Nigeria as well, citing the case of his failed attempt to lure Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma, who said he will consider playing for Nigeria if he fails to make the grade with the national team of Germany.
“Germany or Denmark there are players I hear who want to come with us, sometimes I see no, so it must be clear, the player must tell us, we will ask again and wait for the answers from these players and then we will see”, Rohr said.
“The first decision must come from the players, we cannot promise anything we only can tell them we have a good team and we will like to have you with us but it’s their decision. I had this discussion with Akpoguma of Hoffenheim a very good defender. I saw his father, I went there to see his family. I saw his mother. Mother is German, father is Nigerian”, the coach concluded.
