- Bayern Munich ace chose to represent France despite his England eligibility
- He was handed his senior debut last September and has four caps to date
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Michael Olise has revealed his pride at playing for France at senior level after receiving his first call-up last year, having decided against selecting England.
Bayern Munich forward Olise was eligible to play for the Three Lions and Les Blues – as well as Nigeria and Algeria – having been born in west London to a Nigerian father and French-Algerian mother, and was courted by both rival nations.
However, he ultimately selected France, a decision that traces back to his childhood and his mother’s roots in the country. His admiration for legends Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry also influenced his choice, Olise freely admitted.
He was capped at Under-18 and Under-21 level but was overlooked by senior Les Blues boss Didier Deschamps for last year’s European Championship, despite impressing over the back end of the season with Crystal Palace.
But he received his first call-up for Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium last September, making his debut against the former, and has four caps to date.
‘It’s such a pride to go there, to wear this jersey,’ Olise told L’Equipe. ‘I remember the first call from Didier Deschamps. I was so happy. I’d wanted it since I was young.
Michael Olise has shared his pride at playing for France after choosing them over England
Olise was eligible to play for four nations – including the Three Lions – but settled on Les Blues
‘Then I saw my name on the jersey… I was more excited than scared. I knew several young players, like Manu Kone, who was called up at the same time as me and with whom I have a connection. Going there together was really nice.
‘This squad is quite young. It’s a bit like a new team and we all want to win together.’
Olise also admitted he did not feel torn by his multicultural background, adding: ‘I have a lot of different connections with Nigeria, Algeria, France, England. It’s not something I think about every day. It’s completely normal for me.
‘I have little things from each country within me. It opened my mind, because these cultures are quite different from each other. At home, I had three thanks to my parents. And outside, it was England, where I grew up.
‘I didn’t have to force this mix, it was just there.’
Former England manager Gareth Southgate identified Olise as a player he was ‘interested in’ ahead of Euro 2024 but did not make a move, claiming the hesitation was because the forward did not have enough time to switch allegiance.
But Thierry Henry, who coached Olise for France at the Paris Olympics last summer, declared that the ace only wanted to play for Les Blues.
‘We know that he has plenty of possibilities but he wants to play for France,’ he said.
He represented the country at youth level and earned his first senior call-up last September
Olise also turned out for France during Paris Olympics last summer, where they took silver
‘You have to highlight his desire to show that he wants to play for L’Equipe de France.
‘If he was English, he would have already left to play for England.
‘He could have made the other choice and played the Euros with the England team, like his teammate Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace but he wants to play for France, knowing that he wouldn’t play in the Euros.’
