Premier League Star Worth £30m Speaks Out On Swapping England for Scotland
A top Premier League star may choose to represent Scotland internationally despite playing one senior match for England.
On Tuesday night, Scotland became the second home nation to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup following their spectacular 4-2 win over Denmark in Glasgow's Hampden Park.
Just three minutes into the match, former Manchester United midfielder McTominay put the hosts into the lead with a incredible bicycle kick, with Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean each scoring extra-time goals to come back after Scotland surrendered their lead.
Four weeks prior, England booked their place in the World Cup after thrashing Latvia 5-0, immediately bringing up questions of which players would be included in Tuchel's squad for the competition.
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But there is one player who may opt out of potentially representing England in an attempt to join the Scots in North America for the World Cup, despite the fact he has one cap for the Three Lions.
Although there is likely to be discussions regarding Tuchel's selection across the pitch, perhaps the most focus will be on which star players he names in his attacking lineup.
The likes of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Morgan Rogers are among the players who could miss out on a place in the World Cup squad due to the depth of attacking talent available to Tuchel.
Potentially with this in mind, Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes refused to rule out potentially swapping his national allegiance to Scotland in the near future.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "It’s not something I’ve really spoken about or put thought into recently.
"There’s always been talk about it and a while ago there was bits and bobs about it. But recently it’s not cropped up.
"It was great to see them win and get through last night, it was a crazy game, and I’m sure everyone in Scotland enjoyed themselves.
"Is it closed off? No, of course it’s not.
"I’ve obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side of it is still there so it’s hard to say either way but there’s been no real chats or progression in that sense."
The 27-year-old made his only appearance for the Three Lions back in 2020 while he still played for former club at Leicester City. having already represented his country at U20 and U21 level.
However, because his one and only England cap came as a substitute during a friendly against Wales, he remains eligible to play for Scotland, who he qualifies for through his grandparents.
Although it would be bold of Barnes to assume that he would be selected for the World Cup squad having made zero appearances for Scotland thus far, he could benefit from the fact that Steve Clarke is not blessed with too many options on the wing.
Former Liverpool star Ben Gannon-Doak has shown promise but was taken off early against Denmark due to injury.
Topics: Scotland, England, Newcastle United, FIFA World Cup
Ben McCrum