Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham always knew his heart was set on playing for the Three Lions at the international level.
Nigeria’s top football administrators severally tried to convince the former England youth international to switch allegiance to the three-time African champions. But the 22-year-old has confessed it was a childhood desire to star for England instead.
It is on record that the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amanju Pinnick went to London twice to secure Abraham’s commitment to pledge his international future to the country of his parents.
But Abraham’s decision was made many years ago, and the issue was finally settled when, on October 11, 2019, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate handed him his competitive debut against Czech Republic in a European Championship qualifier.
“I’m always ambitious and it’s always at the back of my mind,” Abraham told Chelsea’s official website, as he explained the rationale behind his decision.
“Growing up, I always wanted to play for England and now I have the opportunity so I’ll try to grab it with two hands.
“There’s probably more pressure being Chelsea’s number nine but I’m enjoying myself and I just have to keep doing that.
“It’s about staying focused on Chelsea, going out there every game and doing my best, getting the wins and then I can focus on the summer with England.”
Tammy Abraham is enjoying a fantastic season as Chelsea’s number 9 with the forward on 13 goals in 21 league appearances for Frank Lampard’s side.