Former Chelsea winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi, has indicated that he is contemplating the prospect of representing Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars.
At 23 years old, Hudson-Odoi has attracted attention from the West African nation despite having previously played for England. He notably won the Under-17 World Cup under the guidance of Steve Cooper in 2017.
Although born in Wandsworth, Hudson-Odoi has also donned the jersey of the Three Lions, starting from the Under-16s and progressing through to the Under-21s, earning three senior caps for England.
When asked about the possibility of playing for the four-time African champions, Hudson-Odoi acknowledged it as a viable option but conveyed that he is still in the process of making a decision.
“That decision hasn’t been made yet. I’m still thinking it over. Ghana is a very good option but let’s wait and see,” he told The Telegraph.
“Hopefully, once I start playing games here, maybe Gareth [Southgate] or Ghana will come. It’s a nice position to be in and hopefully, sooner or later we will know,” the winger, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, added.
Meanwhile, Black Stars coach Chris Hughton hinted in an interview with talkSPORT that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has been trying to convince Callum Hudson-Odoi and Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah to switch allegiances to play for the Black Stars.
“The issue is, and it is understandable, particularly for someone like myself who was born here. I have an Irish mother, and a Ghanaian father and I chose to play for Ireland at that particular time.
“These are two players (Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eddie Nketiah) that have represented England on quite a few of the underage teams. So some of it is understandable. We have been in contact with them.
“Not just in my time; I think from before as well. It is a process. But ultimately it will be about both of them making that decision that they want to play but we have had good dialogue with them.”
Callum Hudson-Odoi concluded his long-standing 16-year affiliation with Chelsea, having risen through the ranks of the academy and accumulated 126 appearances in the first team. He made a move to Nottingham Forest during the summer transfer window.
Notably, Forest acquired Hudson-Odoi’s services for a fee of just £3 million.