Tosin Adarabioyo: I’ve Never Rejected Nigeria
Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo Denies Snubbing Nigeria, Hints at Future Super Eagles Decision
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo has refuted claims that he rejected an opportunity to represent Nigeria at the international level, clarifying that he has never turned down a call-up to the Super Eagles.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 4–1 victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Europa Conference League final, the 27-year-old addressed the ongoing speculation regarding his international future.
“Both of those pieces of news are pretty false,” Adarabioyo said. “I’ve never turned down Nigeria. And I’ve never had any conversations with them to say that I’ll be going to Nigeria.”
The former Fulham centre-back, who signed with Chelsea earlier this season, explained that his recent focus had been on stabilizing his club career.
He admitted that while there had been informal discussions with Nigerian officials during his final season at Fulham, he chose to concentrate on performing consistently at the club level.
“At the time, I was entering the final year of my contract at Fulham, and I just wanted to focus and finish strong.
Now that I’m at Chelsea, I wanted to give my full attention to settling in and performing well in my first season,” he added.
Adarabioyo, who previously represented England at various youth levels and remains eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, hinted that he may soon decide where his international future lies.
“I think now is going to be the time that I need to make a decision,” he stated.
His comments come as Nigeria continues efforts to bolster the Super Eagles squad with foreign-born players of Nigerian descent ahead of upcoming international tournaments.