Arsenal’s young goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri has declared his intention to represent Nigeria at the international level, despite being eligible for England and Uganda.

Ovie Ejeheri, Arsenal‘s promising young goalkeeper, has made his international preference clear by expressing a strong desire to represent Nigeria, despite being eligible to play for two other nations.

Born in London, Ejeheri’s birthplace makes him eligible to represent England, and his Ugandan mother’s heritage opens the possibility of playing for Uganda.

However, the 20-year-old, who has been with Arsenal since joining their Under-9 team and advancing through their academy to sign his first professional contract in August 2021, feels a deep connection to Nigeria.

“I remember when we won the Africa Cup of Nations with Amuneke, that’s when I was young and I really love football back then so I was watching it a lot,” Ejeheri told Channel Television.

“One hundred percent, when I was watching that, it’s inspiring and I definitely want to be one of the goalkeepers to talk about for Nigeria in history forever so I’d definitely like to play.

“Last year I had a chance to [join an u20 Flying Eagles training camp], but unfortunately I was on loan so It was a bit of a hard decision but I had to stay to get men’s football.

“My dad’s from Nigeria, so obviously I ‘ve taken a lot from him. I love the food of course, I love the culture, church, music.

“There’s a lot to love about Nigeria and I definitely need to visit again because I haven’t visited in a long time. I can’t even remember when I visited last but hopefully this summer I’ll visit. I love Nigeria.”