Brentford defender Michael Kayode has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) approached him about switching his international allegiance to the Super Eagles.
The 22-year-old was born in Borgomanero, Italy, to Nigerian parents and has represented Italy at various youth levels.
Kayode was part of the Italian team that won the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, scoring the winning goal in the final against Portugal.
Despite the approach from Nigeria, the right-back said he never considered switching allegiance, having progressed through Italy’s youth teams.
‘It was a very easy decision. I went through all the youth teams here. Nigeria approached me, but I never thought about changing national teams’, Kayode was quoted as saying by Football Italia.
The Brentford defender has now been rewarded with his first senior call-up to the Italian national team for the September 2026 international window.
Kayode’s decision means he will continue his international career with Italy after representing the country at several youth levels.
