The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has successfully secured the commitment of Chelsea academy graduate, Faustino Anjorin, beating England to the highly-rated midfielder’s international allegiance.
After spending sixteen years at Stamford Bridge, Anjorin made a permanent move to Serie A side Empoli last summer, where he now plays alongside Super Eagles right-back Tyronne Ebuehi. His development has continued steadily in Italy despite previous injury setbacks.
Born in England to a Nigerian father, Anjorin has long been on the radar of both England and Nigeria. Though once considered a future England star, he has not featured for any of the Three Lions’ squads since 2021, paving the way for Nigeria to make their move.
Super Eagles manager, Eric Chelle is reportedly eyeing the 23-year-old for selection in Nigeria’s June 2025 international fixtures, as the team looks to bolster its midfield with youthful, dynamic talent.
Although Anjorin is provisionally cap-tied to England, having played competitively at U17 and U19 levels, he is now set to submit a one-time switch request to FIFA to finalize his eligibility for Nigeria’s senior team.
Once cleared, Anjorin will follow the path of fellow ex-England youth internationals like Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Ola Aina, who all committed their international futures to the Super Eagles.
