Super Eagles winger Nathan Tella has declared his desire to return to the Nigeria national team after putting an injury-ravaged campaign behind him and returning to full fitness ahead of the new season with Bayer Leverkusen, Footynaija.com reports.
The 26-year-old endured a frustrating 25/26 campaign in Germany, with three separate injuries restricting him to just 22 appearances across all competitions. Tella missed 28 competitive matches after suffering a knee bruise, a serious foot and ankle injury, and a late-season muscle problem.
Despite those setbacks, Bayer Leverkusen demonstrated their faith in the Nigerian by handing him a five-year contract extension in March. He also finished the campaign on a positive note, producing a goal and an assist in Leverkusen’s emphatic 4-1 Bundesliga victory over RB Leipzig before a minor muscle strain brought his season to an early end.
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Now fully recovered and enjoying an uninterrupted pre-season, Tella is eager to leave his injury troubles behind.
“I feel good. I had a restful summer break and was able to become fully fit again,” Tella told Rheinische Post.
“The period was naturally very frustrating for me, but I want to take that feeling and turn it into something positive.”
“The goal now is to remain injury-free. I do not want to play one good game and then miss the next five again. I need more consistency in my fitness and, consequently, in the number of games I can play in succession.”
Tella’s prolonged absence also affected his chances with the Nigeria national team. The former Burnley man missed several of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying fixtures under Eric Chelle and has not featured for the Super Eagles since the 2025 Unity Cup, leaving him stuck on just two senior international caps.
While admitting that it was painful to watch Nigeria’s unsuccessful World Cup qualification campaign from the sidelines, Tella insists representing the Super Eagles again remains one of his biggest motivations heading into the new season.
“I want to return to the national team,” Tella said.
“Of course, it was very frustrating that Nigeria were not at the World Cup and that I missed many of the qualification games.
“Now, a new season and a new opportunity begin. Playing for Nigeria again is my dream.”
Strong and consistent performances for Bayer Leverkusen in the months ahead could now provide Tella with the platform to force his way back into Eric Chelle’s plans as the Super Eagles set sights on the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
