‘If it was Nigeria, I'd have gone’ - Ex-Chelsea star claims the NFF never called him to play for Super Eagles

Tomori's international eligibility was a topic of discussion early in his career, having initially represented Canada at the youth level before switching allegiance to England.

While several former England youth internationals with Nigerian heritage, such as Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman, have since become mainstays for the Super Eagles, Tomori's path led him to the senior England squad. 

Despite earning only five caps to date, he stands by his choice and aims to secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.

Speaking on the Filthy Fellas Podcast, the Serie A winner detailed the sequence of events that led him to commit to England.

"I was playing for the Canada youth team, but about four months later, the England Academy manager reached out about the possibility of switching over," Tomori explained.

"The next international break, England called me, and I knew I had to go. I thought if I said no, would I ever get a call-up again?"

He noted that the familiarity of playing alongside Chelsea teammates like Tammy Abraham made the transition feel natural. 

"It didn't feel different [from Canada] because all my friends were in there... it felt like Chelsea again," he added.

Tomori admitted that had Nigeria made an approach first, his career might have taken a different turn. "If it was Nigeria, I'd have gone," he stated, before clarifying the reality of the situation.

"Would I have changed to Nigeria from England? I don't know because at the time, I was playing for Chelsea, so I thought I would play for England. I thought I could make it to the national team," he reflected. 

"It's not like I wouldn't have played there, but they never called me, so I never had a choice to make. If they called me, I would have had a decision to make, but they never officially called me."