Varun Pai
England could miss out on Manchester United wonderboy Zidane Iqbal amidst approach by Iraq
According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United wonderkid Zidane Iqbal could change nationalities by playing for Iraq rather than the England national team.
The 18-year-old has caught the eye with his recent performances for the youth side. He is already playing for Neil Wood in the U-23s and there is no saying how big a talent he could turn out to be.
Iqbal had an excellent start to last week as he scored against Sunderland in the Papa John’s Trophy. Later in the week, he helped United’s U-19 side secure a 4-2 victory against Atalanta in the UEFA Youth League.
His first coach Steven Hamer is well aware of his talents and made a telling prediction in September. He told Sky Sports (h/t Manchester Evening News) that England need to be more ‘proactive’ in giving the youngster a chance.
The Three Lions have an incredible youth squad and have welcomed talents from clubs all over the country. Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Aaron wan-Bissaka, all played for the youth teams of England and have also made it into the senior team.
However, due to England’s relaxed stance over Iqbal, he may now feature for the Iraq national team. The midfielder is eligible to play for the Middle-East country due to his mother’s roots while his father hails from Pakistan.
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The youngster was born in England and, thus, has three choices in his hand. But Iraq are already ahead of the curve, with the 18-year-old playing for the country’s U-23 side during their 1-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in October.
He is an incredible talent and England must act fast if they hope to see him play for their country.
