Jack Wilshere is wrong to make U-turn over Manchester United prospect Adnan Januzaj's eligibility for England – not least because he has a point
The Football Association has a taped recording of Jack Wilshere’s interview in
which he responds to a question about whether Adnan Januzaj, the Manchester United attacker who could qualify for England in the future under residency rules, with the words: “If you lived in England for five years for me it doesn’t make you English.”
which he responds to a question about whether Adnan Januzaj, the Manchester United attacker who could qualify for England in the future under residency rules, with the words: “If you lived in England for five years for me it doesn’t make you English.”
The Arsenal
midfielder posted tweets yesterday in which he said he “wasn’t referring to
Januzaj”, contradicting the FA’s transcript, which confirms the conversation
at St George’s Park on Tuesday afternoon related to Januzaj.
The FA recording confirms the question as: “Jack, there has been lots of talk
over the past few days about the lad Januzaj, who is at United, potentially
playing for England in the future. We have with players like you, Ross
Barkley and Ravel Morrison all coming through, what would your view be about
playing with foreign players with England, or even watching them from the
bench?’’
To which Wilshere is heard on the FA recording replying: “No, for me if you
are English you are English and you play for England, you know. I think the
only people who should play for England is English people.
“If you lived in England for five years for me it doesn’t make you English.
You know, you shouldn’t be, you shouldn’t play ... it doesn’t mean you can
play for a country. If I went to Spain and lived there for five years I am
not going to play for Spain, you know what I mean?’’
