Nigeria’s Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr has revealed that he would love to have Bayern Munich wonderkid, Joshua Zirkzee in the Nigeria national team squad but admitted it won’t be easy.
The nineteen year old striker, who qualified to represent Nigeria through his mother, in cap-tied to the Netherlands after playing competitively for the European giants at U17 level.
Rohr, who has been a long time admirer of the skillful youngster since he watched back in February when he scored on his full Bundesliga debut against Hoffenheim, admitted that he would have prefer Zirkzee to play for Nigeria but it would not be that simple.
Speaking in an interview with a German tabloid, Mannheimer Morgen, Rohr when asked if he would like Zirkzee to play for Super Eagles, Rohr said he would love to but the final say is with the player.
“A preferred candidate, but it’s not that simple. We cannot and will not poach him, that must come from the player himself.
“There are a few others in the Bundesliga that apply: Kevin Akpoguma in Hoffenheim, Jordan Torunarigha at Hertha
BSC and Felix Uduokhai in Augsburg. But we can’t get them so easily,” Rohr said.
Apart from Zirkzee, the Nigeria Football Federation are hoping to secure the allegiances of dual-eligible central defenders Kevin Akpoguma, Felix Uduokhai and Jordan Torunarigha, who all have Bundesliga experience, before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Zirkzee has appeared in 9 Bundesliga matches this season, scoring four goals, and debuted for the German champions in the DFB Pokal and UEFA Champions League.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
