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Former Nedum Onuoha has admitted that turning down the chance to represent Nigeria remains one of the biggest regrets of his career, after waiting in vain for an England call that never came, Footynaija reports.
Born in Nigeria but raised in England, Onuoha progressed through the academy at Manchester City and went on to represent England at youth level, even captaining the under-21 side.
During that period, the Nigeria Football Federation made efforts to convince him to switch allegiance to the Super Eagles, but the move never materialised.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ “In The Mixer” podcast, the former defender explained how club commitments and the timing of the Africa Cup of Nations influenced his decision.
Nedum Onuoha reveals why he didn’t play for the Super Eagles.
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) May 1, 2026
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“Coming through the City academy and being a supporter of the club, nothing was more important to me than playing for City,” Onuoha said.
At the time, competition for places had intensified following the arrival of manager Roberto Mancini, while younger players like Dedryck Boyata were pushing ahead of him.
“Mancini had just arrived at the club, and then Dedryck Boyata came from the reserves and started playing ahead of me,” he said.
Onuoha feared that leaving mid-season for AFCON, typically staged between January and February, could damage his chances of establishing himself at club level.
“Thinking from the football standpoint, I realised going away for six weeks because of AFCON might not put me in a better position at City when I got back.
“In those times, AFCON wasn’t as big as now. Most African players were not signed because AFCON was in that window.”
What really happened between Nedum Onuoha and Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
— GOLZ (@golz_tv) October 17, 2025
During a 2019 MLS game between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy, the two had a bust-up both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
This week, Onuoha recalled the story in an interview with Fozcast.
“There was a… pic.twitter.com/EfEqjgURLf
Despite believing his decision made sense at the time, Onuoha now views it differently. He also spoke about how perceptions shaped his international prospects.
“I was put in the bracket of players that would rather beg to play for England than choose to play for Nigeria, and once you’ve been painted with that brush, it’s done.
“Looking back on my career, there are lots of things where I wish I had done something differently, even though at the time it made perfect sense to me. I regret not playing international football.”
Onuoha later left Manchester City in 2010, going on to play for clubs including Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers before retiring in 2020, without earning a senior cap for either England or Nigeria.
