Several England-born stars like Ola Aina and Nathan Tella have opted to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, but a Crystal Palace youngster, Benjamin Casey, could join the fold in the near future, Soccernet.ng reports.
In recent times, players wait until they attain a certain age of maturity before deciding international future, but Casey might be set for Nigeria from the outset.
Last night, Christantus Uche made the headlines after scoring his first goal for Crystal Palace, but Casey also made his debut last night, replacing Justin Devenny in the 82nd minute.
A night to remember for Benji Casey pic.twitter.com/egZTsL0cGn
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 11, 2025
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After the game, Palace's head coach, Oliver Glasner, explained why he decided to give Benji Casey a first-team debut in the closing stages.
“He's doing very well in our youth team. He's scoring goals, he's got a great profile, he's got a pace, and that's why he deserves it,” the Austrian said in quotes revealed by Crystal Palace official website.
“It was a great day. It was something that I've been dreaming about my whole life. I didn't even think I was going to come on, but I was always ready.
“Obviously, I wasn't sure, but it was a great experience. I just tried not to be nervous and have a go. I had a warm welcome from my teammates as well; it felt great.
“Glasner's a great manager. He just told me to have a go and do my thing.
“I just need to keep doing well and hopefully get another opportunity with the first team, hopefully get some more minutes. But I enjoyed it.
“Whether it's five minutes or two minutes, if I'm coming on, not a lot of kids have that, so I'm grateful for that experience.
“I've learnt a lot from the others as well. They are all very good footballers. I saw [Eddie] Nketiah's finishing in training; he's very good, a great poacher. The same with Uche as well, and he showed it with his performance.
“They are all great players to work with and look at. It was great,” the Englishman said.
Who is Benjamin Casey?
Born on February 4, 2008, in London, England, Benjamin Omena Akpowubrunei Casey has been a part of the Crystal Palace Youth setup before he turned 15.
Primarily a centre-forward, he can play on the right and left flank, as well as an attacking midfielder when given the chance, making him a well-rounded and versatile asset at such a young age.
He went on to net 12 goals and one assist in his first season as a scholar; he was also the only player in the U18S side to feature in all 28 games across all competitions.
In total, Casey scored 31 goals and provided five assists in 44 games for the Eagles' U-18 side. His good form at Palace also earned him a call-up to England's U-18 side in September, and he's gone on to play two games for them.
Casey harbours big dreams and is hoping that as his career blossoms, he'll win a major European title, in a bid to emulate Ademola Lookman's success in the UEFA Europa League with Atalanta last year.
Soccernet.ng confirmed the 17-year-old's interest in representing Nigeria, a subject that has been on the teenager's mind for a while, and he said it would be an honour to don the green and white colours of the Super Eagles.
Still, his priority at the moment is to keep his head down and see where his career takes him in the next few years as a club footballer, before anything else.
