England and the Netherlands are locked in an international tug-of-war over one of England’s most promising academy players.
West Ham’s Emmanuel Fejokwu, just 15 but plays in the Under-18 Premier League, has so far represented both nations at Under-15 and Under-16 level and was called by up by England and the Netherlands for an international camp last week.
The young defender, who was born in the Netherlands but moved to England in his infant years, this time chose the country of his birth, which caught the attention of scouts given that the pair of Under-16 games would be against England.
It was particularly awkward for the FA and England’s youth coaches that Fejokwu came on in the first game and scored a left-footed finish into the top corner, and then followed that up by scoring a header in the second game as a starter.
The FA pathway is littered with players who can play for other nations and there are countless examples of young stars like Elliot Anderson, who spent a lot of his youth career at international level playing for Scotland before declaring for England as a senior player.
But concern has been ramped up at St George’s Park that one of English football’s most promising teenage defenders could be taken from their grasp.
The Netherlands (left) and England (right) are both trying to convince Emmanuel Fejokwu to commit his international future to them
Fejokwu is just 15-years-old but is a regular for West Ham’s Under-18s side
Daily Mail Sport understands that Fejokwu, who plays three years above his age level in West Ham Under-18s, much like 15-year-old JJ Gabriel at Manchester United, is also attracting significant interest from clubs in the Netherlands such as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.
Sources in the Netherlands believe a move to the Dutch league would help further secure him from the clutches of England at international level.
His Dutch passport opens the door for him to leave England at the age of 16, something which isn’t possible for players that solely hold a British passport. They cannot play abroad until they turn 18.
German clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen have made enquiries, as have Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Anderlecht, Lille and AS Monaco are also understood to be among the clubs vying for his signature.
West Ham are understood to be desperate to keep him while England’s biggest clubs have all sought updates on his situation as academy recruitment season goes into overdrive.
