Resurfaced photos of Eberechi Eze training with the Nigeria national team have stirred conversations about how close the Arsenal forward came to representing the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports.
The images, taken during Nigeria’s London training camp in March 2017, capture an 18-year-old Eze—who was the a rising talent at Queens Park Rangers—posing with established Super Eagles stars.
He was invited by then-head coach Gernot Rohr as the team prepared for international friendlies against Senegal and Burkina Faso, both of which were later cancelled due to security concerns.
Eze Trained With Nigeria but Never Made His Debut
Nigeria identified Eze early and attempted to convince him to commit to the national team, with former NFF President Amaju Pinnick spearheading talks.
Despite the invitation, Eze did not play in any official match and remained uncapped, which left the door open for England to pursue him in the years that followed.
In the resurfaced photos, Eze appears alongside several stars from that 2017 squad, including Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, and William Troost-Ekong.
Yeah he trained with the Super Eagles in 2017 during their training camp in London.
The truth remains if you ever have the chance to play for England, you won’t choose Nigeria, it’s that simple. https://t.co/LZsccIgtUr pic.twitter.com/MhYzeGk2sh
— SportsDokitor (Odogwu) (@sportsdokitor) November 24, 2025
The camp also featured Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Leon Balogun, and other Premier League and European-based players who formed the spine of Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup team.
See Eberechi Eze’s resurfaced photos here:
Why Eberechi Eze eventually chose England
Despite Nigeria’s interest, Eze was never capped in an official match, meaning he retained the freedom to choose his international future.
As his career progressed—first at QPR and later at Crystal Palace—England grew increasingly interested in securing his services.
Eze eventually accepted a call-up from the Three Lions and made his competitive debut, which officially tied him to England.
In later interviews, he said he had no regrets about his choice, noting that he took time to think carefully and chose the path he felt was best for his career.
“We think that this is the best one. It is a big opportunity for me. It is the highest level of football. I look at it with no regret at all.
“It is the highest level of football. You want to test yourself against that, you want to be in that, and you can see from the quality of the team, where they are getting to, the confidence they are playing with, it is incredible. So, being part of that is big.
“I received the call, and I felt it was the right decision to make, and I am very, very happy to be here,” he said, as quoted by ESPN.
A near miss for the Super Eagles
Eze is now shining at Arsenal and emerging as one of the Premier League’s most exciting attacking talents, the resurfaced images have fuelled nostalgia and debate in the Nigerian football community.
Many see his brief involvement in the 2017 camp as a reminder of what might have been if Nigeria had succeeded in securing his international allegiance.
