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West Ham Star Switching International Allegiance?

By Henry Tomlinson

Michail Antonio, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Michail Antonio, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /
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Michail Antonio could be set for a switch of national allegiance in a bid to play at the 2022 World Cup finals. The West Ham striker, despite being called up to England on two occasions, has never received a cap for the Three Lions and is eligible to change his national team.

Antonio is considering changing his allegiance to Jamaica, who will play their CONCACAF qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica in September. The 30-year-old striker would team up with former Hammers Ravel Morrison if he made does make the switch.

The Reggae Boyz do have some decent players starting to joining their racks and could stand a chance of qualifying for the World Cup next year. Premier League’s Fulham have a duo of Jamaican talent in Michael Hector and Bobby Decordova-Reid. Their star player, without a doubt, however, is Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey.

West Ham forward Michail Antonio is desperate to play international football and could be changing his allegiance to make his dream come true.

Michail Antonio, West Ham.
Michail Antonio, West Ham. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth – Pool/Getty Images) /

Antonio was last called up to the England squad in 2017 by current manager Gareth Southgate for a friendly match against Germany and a world cup qualifier facing Lithuania. The versatile forward had to withdraw before ever stepping on to the pitch after picking up an injury.

Since then, the England team has taken shape under Southgate, and it is clear Antonio does not feature in his plans. The manager is favouring young talent that can become a regular team for the next decade. Considering Antonio is 30-years-old and already injury-prone, Southgate does not want to build a team around that sort of player.

It would be a shame to see Antonio never turned out for the Three Lions, considering how close he has come. The unique striker would also add another dimension to the Englan squad with his raw pace and power.

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If Antonio does switch allegiance, it will allow him the potential of playing in a World Cup, which would be amazing to see. However, West Ham fans may just be worried about him picking up an injury after his good form over the last year.