Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey has asked to be left out of England’s under-21s squad after receiving an approach to play for Ghana’s national side.
Lee Carsley’s Young Lions are due to play four games in the opening weeks of June against Czech Republic, Albania, Kosovo and Slovenia in qualifying for the 2023 Under-21 European Championships taking place in Romania and Georgia.
Carsley named his squad for the quartet of qualifiers on Wednesday and Seagulls full-back Lamptey, who has played 20 times for England across various age groups was left out.
Asked about Lamptey’s omission, former Everton and Republic of Ireland midfielder Carsley said that the former Chelsea defender had asked to be left out of the squad following an approach to play for Ghana while he thinks about his options.
“There’s an issue over his dual nationality,” Carsley told The Sun. “He’s had an approach. It’s something he’s considering at the minute.
“He’s asked to be left out of the squad for a bit of head space. He’s not switched, it’s not cemented or anything like that. But he’s had an approach (from Ghana), we have to respect that.
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“We’ve made it clear how important we see him to us. I know the seniors have as well. It’s not something that we’ve given up on. Tariq is fully aware of how important we see him.”
One thing perhaps deterring Lamptey from sticking with England is the direct competition ahead of him at present. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Tripper, Kyle Walker and Reece James have all been regulars for England, while Kyle Walker-Peters, Tino Livramento, James Justin, have all been and around the squad in recent months.
Lamptey also faces competition at right-back in the under-21s squad. West Ham United’s Ben Johnson, Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence and Norwich City’s Max Aarons are all competing against Lamptey for minutes
Brighton ’s former Chelsea defender is not the only player who Ghana are believed to be trying to convince to change allegiances. Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and Arsenal striker Eddie Nkeitah are both reportedly being considered by Ghana.
Lamptey is of Ghanaian descent which has led to contact between Ghana and him, which first started in 2020.
Ghana are at this year’s World Cup, with the hope of bolstering their squad before the tournament starts in November. Jamaica are also attempting to get young English players with Jamaican roots to opt to play for them in the coming months.
