Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni has opened up on the significance of his maiden Super Eagles call-up, saying it is massive for him and his career, www.aclsports.com reports.
Oseni, who plies his trade in the third tier of English football, has been handed a maiden call-up by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for this month’s Unity Cup in London and next month’s international friendlies against Poland and World Cup-bound Portugal.
The 23-year-old was born in Waterford, Ireland, to a Nigerian father and an Ivorian mother before switching his International allegiance to represent the 2013 African champions.
“I know I had an alright season, but to get called up for a country where there’s more than 240 million people and probably 50% want to play for their country was quite a big deal for me, so I was really buzzing,” Oseni told BBC Sport.
“The coaches were watching me, obviously they picked up on the form I’d hit just towards the end of the season.”
Oseni found the net three times in Plymouth’s final four games of their League One campaign, where they narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs.
“I’d love to represent any country on a national level,” he says. “It’s massive for me and my career and Nigeria, the Super Eagles, when they came knocking, it was a decision that I couldn’t turn down.
“I didn’t think there was a possibility that that could happen. All I know is to just work hard, and many doors could open, but I definitely didn’t think that I would be one of them,” Oseni concluded.
The Super Eagles will kick off their Unity Cup title defence against Zimbabwe next Tuesday at The Valley, Charlton Athletic’s Stadium, where Oseni could also make his debut.
Oseni ended his first spell in the English Football League with 10 goals and five assists from 33 appearances, having joined Plymouth last summer from Scottish side St Mirren.
