Super Eagles or England? Ranking the 9 stars who chose Nigeria: Lookman 3rd, Bassey 5th

The England-Super Eagles football connection has produced a long list of players who grew up in English football but eventually chose the green and white of Nigeria, Afrik-Foot reports.

Some were born in England, some moved there as children, and others developed inside Premier League academies before making their international decision.

Their routes were rarely the same. Some had already played for England’s youth teams and even won major tournaments before switching. Others had long careers in the English professional game but never got close to a senior Three Lions cap. Nigeria offered each player a different opportunity, from World Cup football to Africa Cup of Nations competition.

The nine players in this ranking cover more than three decades of Super Eagles history. Efan Ekoku was part of the famous 1994 generation, while Sone Aluko and Shola Ameobi came through England’s youth system before choosing Nigeria. Victor Moses later became a key player in one of Nigeria’s most successful tournament teams of the 2010s.

The modern group includes Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Ademola Lookman. Their stories are particularly interesting because England had already invested in their development. Lookman even won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with England in 2017, yet went on to become African Footballer of the Year with Nigeria seven years later.

Here is how the nine players rank based on their overall impact, longevity and what they delivered for the Super Eagles.

Super Eagles stars who chose Nigeria over England

9. Sone Aluko

Aluko completes the ranking because his Nigeria career was the shortest and least influential of the nine, despite an impressive English club career.

Born in Hounslow, London, in 1989, Aluko joined Birmingham City’s academy at eight. He made his senior debut in 2007 and then spent time with Aberdeen and Blackpool before returning permanently to Aberdeen. He later played for Rangers, Hull City, Fulham, Reading and Ipswich Town. At Hull, he helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2013 and reach the 2014 FA Cup final.

England selected Aluko at every youth level through U19. He then accepted Nigeria’s invitation and made his senior debut against the Republic of Ireland in May 2009. He started the game and produced one of the match’s memorable moments when his long-range free kick forced a save.

Aluko eventually collected seven Nigeria caps and scored twice. Both goals came against South Africa in a 2-2 draw in Uyo in November 2014 during AFCON qualifying. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 tournament, ending the defending champions’ hopes.

He was considered for Nigeria’s 2010 World Cup squad but did not make the final team. An Achilles injury also ruled him out of the 2013 AFCON campaign, which Nigeria went on to win.

Aluko later moved into coaching and joined Ipswich Town’s staff after retiring in 2024. His club career was strong, but his limited international involvement leaves him ninth in this ranking.

8. Efan Ekoku

Ekoku occupies a special place in Nigeria’s football history even though his Super Eagles career was brief.

Born in Manchester in 1967, Ekoku started playing senior football at Sutton United before joining AFC Bournemouth in 1990. Norwich City signed him in 1993, taking him into the Premier League. He later moved to Wimbledon, where he scored 37 goals in five seasons, before playing for Grasshoppers in Switzerland and Sheffield Wednesday.

He became one of the early British-Nigerian players to reach the Premier League and was part of the Nigerian generation that was changing how the country recruited from its diaspora. Ekoku was included in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON-winning squad.

His Nigeria career produced only five senior caps between 1994 and 1997. He was selected for the 1994 World Cup squad in the United States but did not play in Nigeria’s four matches. The Super Eagles beat Bulgaria and Greece, lost to Argentina, then suffered a dramatic 2-1 extra-time defeat to Italy in the round of 16. Ekoku was an unused substitute in that famous final match.

He also played against England in a friendly at Wembley in November 1994, a 1-0 defeat for Nigeria.

His club career was substantial and he remains an important name in Nigeria’s early Premier League connection, but his small number of international appearances puts him eighth.

7. Shola Ameobi

Ameobi’s Nigeria career arrived late, but it included one of the most important tournaments in football.

Born in Zaria in 1981, Ameobi moved to England and joined Newcastle United’s youth system in 1995. He spent 14 years with the club, making 312 league appearances and scoring 53 goals. Across all competitions, he made 397 appearances for Newcastle and won a Championship winner’s medal in 2010.

England selected him for the U21 team, where he won 20 caps and scored seven goals between 2000 and 2003. That meant Nigeria had to wait until 2012 to get the striker.

Ameobi eventually made 10 appearances for the Super Eagles and scored twice. His most important contribution came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he played in Nigeria’s group-stage campaign and then featured in the round-of-16 defeat by France. Nigeria’s run ended with a 2-0 loss in Brasilia.

He also had brief spells with Stoke City, Gaziantep, Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers, Fleetwood Town and Notts County after leaving Newcastle.

Ameobi did not produce the numbers of the players higher up this list, but representing Nigeria at a World Cup after coming through England’s system gives his international career significant value. He ranks seventh.

6. Carl Ikeme

Ikeme’s Nigeria career lasted only 10 caps, but his story is one of the most emotional in this group.

Born in Sutton Coldfield in 1986, Ikeme joined Wolverhampton Wanderers at 14 and spent his entire professional career with the club. He made more than 200 appearances for Wolves across all competitions and helped them win promotion to the Championship in 2009 and League One in 2014. He also had loan spells at Accrington Stanley, Stockport County, Charlton Athletic, Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Doncaster Rovers.

Unlike several players on this list, there is no long England youth international career to describe. Ikeme was eligible for England and Nigeria but chose the Super Eagles. He was first called into a Super Eagles provisional squad in 2007, although his senior debut did not arrive until September 2015 against Tanzania.

He quickly became Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 2017 AFCON qualifying campaign and helped the team through the early stages of the 2018 World Cup qualification process.

Then came the cruelest turn in his career. Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in July 2017. After a year of treatment, he announced he was in complete remission, but medical advice led him to retire in July 2018 at the age of 32. Wolves honoured him as Nigeria’s 24th squad member at the 2018 World Cup.

His international career was short, but he made a strong impression when fit and became an important goalkeeper for Nigeria during his brief spell. That puts him sixth.

5. Calvin Bassey

Bassey’s international career is younger than Aina’s, but his rise has been rapid. Born in Aosta, Italy, in 1999 to Nigerian parents, Bassey moved to England as a child and grew up in Newham. He developed at Leicester City before joining Rangers in 2020 without making a senior appearance for Leicester.

Rangers gave him the platform he needed. He helped the Scottish club win the Scottish Premiership in 2020-21 and the Scottish Cup in 2021-22. His performances also attracted attention during Rangers’ run to the 2022 Europa League final. Ajax then signed him before Fulham brought him back to England in 2023.

Bassey was eligible for England, Italy and Nigeria. His decision was influenced by his Nigerian family background and, as he later explained, by watching Lionel Messi score against the Super Eagles at the 2018 World Cup. He accepted a Nigeria call-up in 2021 and made his debut against Ghana in the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off in Kumasi.

He became a major part of the defence at the 2023 AFCON, helping Nigeria reach the final. He was also the only player who played all 900 minutes of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in the African group stage.

Bassey had 45 Nigeria caps and one goal by June 2026. His first senior international goal came in the 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein in September 2025.

His defensive strength, versatility and growing importance make him one of the most valuable players in the group. However, his international career is still developing, so fifth is a fair position.

4. Ola Aina

Aina’s value to Nigeria has grown steadily, especially at major tournaments. Born in Southwark, London, in 1996, Aina joined Chelsea’s academy in 2007. He eventually made three Premier League appearances for the club before leaving on loan to Hull City and Torino. He later spent a season at Fulham and returned to Italy permanently with Torino. Nottingham Forest signed him in 2023.

His England youth career was extensive. Aina played for the U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 teams, collecting 35 youth caps before choosing Nigeria in 2017.

He was close to a major tournament place with Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup but missed the final squad. His opportunity came at the 2019 AFCON, where he started against Burundi and assisted Odion Ighalo’s winner.

Aina became particularly important at the 2023 AFCON. His ability to play on either side of the defence gave Nigeria tactical flexibility, while his pace and one-on-one defending made him one of the team’s most dependable full-backs. Aina was arguably the best right-back at the tournament as Nigeria reached the final.

His trophy cabinet with Nigeria is lighter than many’s and his attacking numbers are modest, but his long service and importance in a team that reached the AFCON final put him fourth.

3. Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman has already produced some of the most memorable individual moments of this group, even though his Nigeria career is shorter than those of Iwobi, Moses and Aina.

Born in Wandsworth, London, in 1997, Lookman developed at Waterloo before joining Charlton Athletic’s academy. He broke into Charlton’s first team as a teenager and scored 10 goals in 45 league appearances before Everton signed him in January 2017.

England quickly saw his potential. Lookman played for the U19, U20 and U21 teams and was part of the England side that won the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea. He scored three goals at the tournament. He also had spells with RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City before finding his best form at Atalanta.

FIFA approved his switch to Nigeria in February 2022, clearing him to play immediately.

His Nigeria career then accelerated. At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, played in early 2024, Lookman scored against Cameroon in the round of 16 and Angola in the quarter-final. He finished the competition with three goals and helped Nigeria reach the final. CAF named him in the Team of the Tournament.

The next chapter was even stronger. Lookman scored a hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 Europa League final win over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin in May 2024. UEFA named him Player of the Match. Later that year, CAF named him the 2024 African Footballer of the Year.

By March 2026, he had 43 Nigeria caps and 11 goals. His peak performances and individual awards put him firmly among the best players here, but his shorter international career means he sits third behind Iwobi and Moses.

2. Victor Moses

Moses had a much intriguing Nigeria career and played a central role in the Super Eagles’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

Born in Kaduna in 1990, Moses moved to England as a child and developed around the Crystal Palace academy. His talent was obvious early. He reportedly scored 50 goals for Palace’s U14 team and more than 100 during his school and youth football years.

England took him through the U16, U17, U19 and U21 teams. His U17 campaign in 2007 was particularly impressive. He scored three times at the European U17 Championship, including the winner against France in the semi-final, and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer. He also scored three goals at the U17 World Cup in South Korea before injury ended his tournament.

Moses made his Premier League debut with Wigan Athletic before Chelsea signed him in 2012. He also played for Liverpool, Stoke City, West Ham United, Fenerbahce, Inter Milan and Spartak Moscow. His most productive club season in England came in 2016-17, when Antonio Conte converted him into a wing-back and he played 34 league matches as Chelsea won the Premier League.

Nigeria gave Moses his senior debut in 2012. He became one of the stars of the 2013 AFCON-winning side, then played at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. He finished his international career with 38 caps and 12 goals.

His goals, versatility and role in a major tournament victory make him the second-highest ranked player on this list.

1. Alex Iwobi

Iwobi takes the top spot because of the combination of longevity, consistency, tournament experience and sustained importance he has given Nigeria.

Born in Lagos in 1996, he moved to England as a child and joined Arsenal’s academy in 2004.

His England career began with the U16 team, where he scored once in seven appearances. He later played for the U17 and U18 sides. Nigeria won the race for his senior career, with Iwobi making his Super Eagles debut in 2015.

He broke into Arsenal’s first team under Arsene Wenger and made 100 Premier League appearances for the club. Everton followed in 2019, while Fulham signed him in 2023. At Fulham, he has developed into a more central midfielder and has become one of the club’s regular attacking players.

Iwobi’s Nigeria career includes the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 AFCON, the 2021 AFCON and the 2023 AFCON. He scored Nigeria’s goal that secured World Cup qualification against Zambia in October 2017, an important moment in the Super Eagles’ return to the World Cup.

By September 2026, Iwobi has reached 100 senior caps and 10 goals. Few players in this group have given Nigeria as much availability across such a long period while also remaining part of the team’s plans through different generations.

His longevity, major tournament experience and continued importance to the Super Eagles give him the strongest overall record among the nine players. That makes Iwobi No. 1.