Former Ghana international Charles Taylor has urged Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi not to materialize his intentions of playing for the Black Stars of Ghana.
This follows President Nana Akufo-Addo’s call on the Minister for Sports, Mustapha Ussif, to “explore the possibility” of having the England star switch nationality and play for Ghana earlier this month. Hudson-Odoi, 20, had also opened up about a possible switch of allegiances.
Reacting to this, Charles Taylor encouraged Hudson-Odoi to focus on his international career with England.
“If Odoi is listening to me, I will advise him not to think of playing for the Black Stars. He should continue playing for England even if it is under 100, he should play for them than to play for the Black Stars of Ghana is ending his career,” Taylor said on Angel TV.
Born in England to Ghanaian parents, Hudson-Odoi is eligible to choose either nation, despite making three senior appearances for the Three Lions.
Under Fifa’s updated rules on eligibility, Hudson-Odoi will be able to switch allegiance to Ghana in November next year should he not add any more appearances to his current three caps for England.
Speaking about his international future during his visit to Ghana, the winger said:
“I think obviously when you’re young, you have the opportunity to play for England throughout all the years, from under 15 to under 16 all the way up”
“When they obviously gave me the opportunity to come I was in the country already. It’s something that I already had in my mind, set on already playing for England.”
“So it was the thing obviously choosing Ghana or England, and at the end of the day I said I always had the right people around me who always advise me – what’s right, what’s wrong. England came and I said ‘Yeah, let me go and play for my country”.
“But I said ‘Ghana is my home as well’, so we’ll see, we’ll see. You’ll never know, so.” Charles Taylor warns Hudson-Odoi against playing for Black Stars.