Snubbed England Talent Could Play at World Cup After Receiving Offer From Different Nation

A top prospect has been offered the chance to represent another country after being overlooked by England for their under-17 World Cup campaign – and he could feature at next year's World Cup.

Earlier this week, England were eliminated from the under-17 World Cup, losing 4-0 against Austria in the round of 16.

One of the big talking points when Neil Ryan named his 21-man squad was the omission of highly-rated defender Godwill Kukonki, who signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in July.

After catching the eye during Ruben Amorim's first training sessions as United manager, Kukonki was included in their squad for their Premier League clash against Arsenal in December last year.

"He's 16 years old but he impressed me a lot," Amorim told MUTV. "If something happened with the first-team squad, they have to step up, and I think he's ready - he's very adult - to handle the demands of the Premier League."

Kukonki featured for United in pre-season. Image credit: Getty

The defender, who has been compared to Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, also made his England under-17 debut in a win over the Netherlands in February.

But despite an impressive showing, Kukonki was snubbed ahead of England's under-17 World Cup campaign in Qatar – a decision that could come back to bite them after he was offered the chance to represent DR Congo, according to journalist Paddy Keogh.

"Godwill Kukonki has been offered the chance to represent DR Congo at the African Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup," said Keogh. "He was not included in the England under-17 squad for the U-17 World Cup."

DR Congo will play either New Caledonia or Jamaica to qualify for next summer's World Cup after they dramatically secured a play-off spot following a penalty shoot-out win over favourites Nigeria.

It could prove to be a huge opportunity for the 17-year-old, who was also approached to represent Congo at international level in February.

Kukonki has impressed many onlookers at United. Image credit: Getty

Last season, Kukonki was utilised in the left-back role for United under-18s. His versatility may prove to be a valuable asset to Sebastien Desabre and his Congo side ahead of a challenging period.