Bournemouth star midfielder Philip Billing has looked back to how close he came to playing for the senior national team of Nigeria as he prepares to earn his third cap for the senior national team of Denmark, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Billing is eligible for the senior national team of Nigeria through his parents and in 2019 he was for the first time formally approached to play for Nigeria by Super Eagles star Alex Iwobi during a game in the English Premier League.
During Bournemouth’s 3-1 victory against Iwobi’s side Everton last month, the then 23-year-old explained how Iwobi approached him to change his allegiance.
“It wasn’t until when we [Bournemouth] were going to play against Everton a couple of weeks ago when Alex Iwobi asked if I might be interested in coming and playing for Nigeria,” Billing told BT, as per Bournemouth Echo.
“He said the coach had asked me. It was the first time I heard anything concrete myself.
“It’s a pat on the back that another country would like you to play for them. I just take that as a shrug and proof that you are doing well.
“It would feel strange to have to play for Nigeria, even though my father is from there.
“I am half Nigerian and I feel that way too but I was born and raised in Denmark. My mother is Danish and my sister is Danish, so it would feel strange to have to play for Nigeria.”
When asked about the encounter ahead of Denmark’s Euro 2024 qualifiers clash against Denmark, Billing who is the top scorer for Bournemouth this season with six goals laughed over it, jokingly saying he probably would have had more international caps.
” Maybe I would have had more caps now if I had listened to Alex”, he said before revealing that he feels very proud and honored to be defending the colors of the Danish national team.
Ade Emmanuel
