The Super Eagles midfielder Nathan Tella has said that, six months after his last appearance, he is looking forward to rejoining the Nigerian national team.
Originally from Stevenage, England, Tella chose to play for the three-time African champions rather than his native nation.
In the World Cup qualifying match between the Eagles and Zimbabwe on November 19, 2023, Tella made his debut for Nigeria after receiving his international call-up after a fantastic 2023–24 season with Bayer Leverkusen.
Surprisingly, he was overlooked for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast where Nigeria finished second after losing to the hosts in the final.
The midfielder was again invited for the international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March but was an unused substitute in both games.
Six months later, the Leverkusen man continued to be overlooked for national duties.
Asked about a potential return to the national team, Tella though eager and hopeful for another invitation maintained there’s work to be done with his club side, which will yield dividends for the country.
“Of course, it’s an honour to represent your country, but I have to play here more to get the recognition to play with the country, I think it’s all about baby steps, keep getting better, keep improving and if I continue to do the right things, I hope Nigeria will call me back,” he said in an interview with OmaSports TV.
“I can’t go just because of who I am, I have to earn the opportunity to play for Nigeria and if I’m not playing well for my club, I have to work hard to get back into the team here, then the National team follows.”
So far this season, Tella is yet to get on the score sheet but he has provided two assists in 14 games across all competition with the latest in Die Werkself’s 5-0 win over RB Salzburg.
The 25-year-old said he hoped to get on the score sheet.
“Yeah, of course, I’m an attacker. I always want to score, and be a part of the goals for the team, but I’ve had a bit of difficulty this season. In the last two games, I think we’ve shown character and I hope it continues like this,” he added.
“I think everyone wants to play more games, but obviously, with the way the team is playing, everyone can play, everyone will get their opportunity, everyone will get minutes. It’s just about being ready, so when the opportunity comes, we’ll take it.”
