The Super Eagles centre-back has revealed that he tried to convince Chelsea’s defender and England international Fikayo Tomori to play for Nigeria instead.
Kenneth Omeruo was at Chelsea for seven and a half years but did not play a single match for the Blues’ senior team as he was often farmed out on loan with first team opportunities limited.
The 2013 AFCON winner, though, was not the only youngster the London club sent out on loan after acquiring their services with the Stamford Bridge giants labeled as having ‘too much money’ to spend.
Many young talents who went on temporary deals to other clubs never really returned to Chelsea to make a career, with Omeruo – having had different loan stints with Middlesbrough, Kasimpasa, Alanyaspor, and current employers Leganes – finally sealing a permanent move to Leganes in the summer.
However, the duo of defender Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have been an exception to that situation, with both becoming key players for Frank Lampard after spending last term at Derby and Aston Villa respectively.
Their impressive club form this season has catapulted both players to international recognition with Tomori and Tammy eventually deciding to play for England despite Nigeria casting admiring glances in their direction.
If Omeruo had had his way though, it was Tomori – who he knew in his time at Chelsea – that he would have picked to star for the Super Eagles.
“Tomori was a bit younger but he has really improved a lot. “Unfortunately for him he chose England. I wanted him to play for Nigeria,” Omeruo told The Sun.
Fikayo Tomori, who had previously represented Canada at youth level, made his debut for England on 17 November 2019 against Kosovo, putting an end to his chances of ever wearing the green and white colours of Nigeria.
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