Tomori: “They Never Called Me” — Why I Never Played for Nigeria

Fikayo Tomori has explained why, despite being eligible, he never represented Super Eagles at senior level. The AC Milan defender, born in Calgary to Nigerian parents and raised in England, revealed on the Filthy Fellas Podcast that he never received a call-up from Nigeria.

Tomori, 27, recounted that after playing for Canada’s U-20 side, he was approached by the England Academy. “About four months later, the England Academy manager reached out about the possibility of switching over,” he said.  When England called him up during the next international break, he felt he could not refuse fearing he might not get another shot.

Reflecting on that time, Tomori described how the England U-20 squad  which included the likes of Ademola Lookman, Dominic Solanke, Lewis Cook and Dean Henderson  felt like a “good team”. He said the experience “didn’t feel different from Canada” because many of his Chelsea-era friends were there.

Tomori admitted that the lack of any official invitation from Nigeria left him with no real choice. “If it was Nigeria, I’d have gone,” he told the podcast. But as “they never officially called me… I never had a choice to make.”

In short, the defender — who could have played for Nigeria, Canada, or England  says he chose England not from a lack of love for his heritage but from simple pragmatism the opportunity appeared, and Nigeria never came knocking.

Editorial

In the fractured marketplace of international football allegiances, Fikayo Tomori’s decision is a sobering reminder of the cost of indecision  or, in this case, inaction. For a nation as rich in diaspora talent as Nigeria, there is a staggering vulnerability: when the call does not come, the player’s future sails elsewhere.

Tomori’s story should resonate not only as personal testimony, but as a critique of institutional inertia. A defender, born abroad to Nigerian parents, raised abroad, yet bound by descent circumstances that many in Nigeria’s global talent pool share. Yet, when youth representation matured into a senior-team decision, Nigeria never issued that call. That omission was enough.

It matters because football is not just about lineage or heritage it is about timing, respect, recognition. Tomori’s choice to pursue England was borne of a narrow window of opportunity, one he felt Britain’s system fast-tracked. In the world of elite sport, those windows are fleeting. And if they lapse, regret can be lifelong.

What Nigeria loses is not merely a talented defender  but a symbol of bridging continents and building a squad that reflects the global Nigerian diaspora. Tomori could have stood for dual identity: European-trained, African-rooted. Instead, Nigeria’s silence allowed that chance to evaporate.

There is in this episode a broader lesson for Nigerian football administration talents without active engagement risk slipping away  not out of disloyalty, but neglect. If Super Eagles still hope to harness the full reach of its diaspora talent, then calling is not optional. It is imperative.

In choosing to play for England, Tomori didn’t renounce his heritage  he responded to opportunity. In failing to call him, Nigeria lost both a player and a chance.

Did You Know?

1. Tomori was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, before relocating with his family to England as a baby — making him eligible for three national teams: Canada, England and Nigeria.
2. He represented Canada at U-20 level before switching allegiance to England in his late teens.
3. During his youth career, Tomori was part of England’s squad that won the 2017 U-20 FIFA World Cup, alongside players such as Lookman, Solanke and Dean Henderson.
4. Despite maintaining a strong emotional and cultural connection to Nigeria he has spoken publicly about his Nigerian name, Nigerian food and upbringing the lack of a Nigeria call-up effectively ended the possibility of a Super Eagles career.
5. Tomori’s experience is not unique. Other players of Nigerian descent such as Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Lookman — who were also eligible for multiple countries  chose Nigeria because of proactive approaches by the country. Tomori says that absence of such an approach from Nigeria defined his path.