Alex Iwobi, a midfielder for the Nigeria national football team, has opened up about the major differences between playing for Nigeria and representing England national football team, revealing that his early experiences with the Nigerian side were less organised compared to what he experienced with England.
Iwobi, who was born in Lagos and moved to England at the age of four, represented England at youth level up to the under-18 team before eventually deciding to commit his international career to Nigeria.
Since making his senior debut for the Super Eagles in October 2015, he has become one of the team’s key players.
Speaking in an interview with High Performance shared on social media, the Fulham F.C. star explained how the two national team setups differ in terms of structure and discipline.
He said: “Playing for England and playing for Nigeria are very different. England is a bit more strict. In St George’s Park National Football Centre or in a hotel, no one is allowed to come in, strict food, strict regime — that is it,”
Iwobi noted that the Nigerian camp during his early days could be less organised, with players sometimes having to deal with travel and logistics on their own.
He said: “Nigeria now, sometimes your flight is not booked properly. You have to book your own flight. You get there, and sometimes the people at the airport are not ready to pick you up, so you have to make your own way. The hotels are OK. Sometimes the light goes out, sometimes you do not have anywhere to charge your phone. In England, no one is allowed in the hotel. In Nigeria, people can come into your room whenever they want.”
The midfielder also revealed that he initially hesitated before choosing to represent Nigeria and only decided to try it after encouragement from his family. He said his father and uncle advised him to test the experience with the under-23 team first.
According to him: “My uncle and my dad said, just at least try once with Nigeria. So I tried the under-23s just to see, and then I could compare what I prefer. The pitch we were training on would have half grass, half AstroTurf, and maybe a bit of sand on the side.
“The coaches were strict in the sense that if you mess up a pass, you do not just get told off you have to do a lap around the pitch.”
Despite the difficulties he faced in the early stages, Iwobi said he remains proud of his decision to represent Nigeria.
He added: “It took a lot of convincing at the time, but I have no regrets. I did love England, but because I grew up in a Nigerian household, Nigeria has always been a part of me,”.