Saint-Etienne's Green opts for England over France

The 21-year-old, who made himself available for a call-up by the English FA, said that having to choose between the two countries was like asking someone to choose between their parents.

Published : Aug 24, 2021 10:38 IST , SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Green has been at Saint-Etienne since he was nine and made his Ligue 1 debut for Les Verts last April.
REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Green has been at Saint-Etienne since he was nine and made his Ligue 1 debut for Les Verts last April.
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REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Green has been at Saint-Etienne since he was nine and made his Ligue 1 debut for Les Verts last April.

Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Etienne Green has chosen to represent England rather than France, he announced on Instagram on Monday.

In a post written in French, the 21-year-old who was born in England but moved to France as a child, wrote, "If the English FA are interested and decide to call me up, I'll go with pride and commit to it 200 per cent."

Green has been at Saint-Etienne since he was nine and made his Ligue 1 debut for Les Verts last April.

READ : Return of fans sees unrest cross the line in French football

He was selected for France's under-21s in the age-grade Euro in Hungary this summer as the third goalkeeper. He did not play a single minute as France reached the quarterfinals.

Green said the France call-up "was a surprise as well as an honour".

"After the European Championship, the English FA approached me to see if I was interested," he said.

"A painful, if not impossible, choice," he wrote.

"I was born in England and have lived in Saint-Etienne since the age of four. My mother is French and my father is English. It's like asking someone to choose between their parents.

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"After letting some time pass, I finally made the decision to make myself available to the English FA. It is not a rational or opportunistic choice. Two great countries, two great teams that have always made me dream," he added.

England's under-21s are due to face Romania and Kosovo on September 3 and 7.

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