England Under 21 star switches his international allegiance… to a nation ranked 185th in the world!
- The midfielder made several appearances for England at Under-21 level
- He has been persistently encouraged to make the switch by the country’s fans
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A Leicester City player has shifted his national allegiance away from England.
The news was made on the club’s official X account, showing the player holding up his new nation’s flag.
Born in Loughborough, the midfielder has seven Under-21 caps for England.
However, he has struggled to get into the England senior team, and at the age of 27, he has decided to explore other pastures in his pursuit of international experience.
This pleases supporters in his new homeland, who have been badgering the star on social media to make the transition since his Leicester debut seven years ago.
Their perseverance paid off, as Hamza Choudhury will now represent Bangladesh, his mother’s homeland.
‘I represented England on the young team, but as my career evolved, it became clear it was not an option for me.
‘It’s always been in the back of my mind that I’d like to represent Bangladesh—and, more significantly, the Bangladeshi people.
‘I have a pretty excellent relationship with the supporters in Bangladesh. Every day, I get texts asking me to come and play.
‘I also felt it was something I wanted to do to help Bangladesh gain more exposure on the international football stage.’
Bangladesh is presently rated 185th in the world by FIFA, and they just finished last in their qualification group for the 2026 World Cup.
They will hope that the influx of Premier League talent would result in better things for the country, as Choudhury is determined to improve the country’s football infrastructure.
‘It’s perhaps a bit of a misnomer that cricket is their major sport, even if they’re the best at it,’ he said. ‘But I believe that football is the most popular sport that people like watching and participating.
The player was a regular starter for Leicester in their Championship-winning season last year
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The 27-year-old will try to establish his name on the international scene, propelling Bangladesh up the FIFA global rankings.
‘They’ve just not been lucky enough or had the infrastructure to develop and nurture these guys to the European leagues, which ideally will serve as a stepping stone for them to have more players in the European leagues or top leagues.
‘I know they’re obsessed about football. I wish to offer up opportunities for more Bangladeshis to play in the top five leagues or in Europe, or to just get into the bigger leagues and gain more exposure.
‘Hopefully, over time, I’ll be able to establish some form of framework among the lower age groups and local teams to enable this.
‘The Bangladesh Federation has already done a lot of work, but I’m hoping that giving them a fresh perspective, a European one, would assist.’
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