Mason Greenwood has officially submitted a request to change his national team allegiance to Jamaica, which would render him ineligible to represent England moving forward.
The Marseille forward, currently in top form, is eager to revitalize his international career, having secured only one appearance for the Three Lions.
In January 2022, he was detained on suspicion of rape and assault, and subsequently faced charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault, though these charges were discontinued after a year.
With Thomas Tuchel poised to unveil his initial England squad next week, Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive, disclosed that Greenwood is actively pursuing a switch to Jamaica.
“So, my understanding is he’s asked to switch. That’s happened formally, so he wouldn’t be able to because you can only switch once,” Bullingham stated.
When questioned if his continued exclusion prompted the decision to change allegiances, Bullingham acknowledged that Greenwood had never been officially ruled out of contention for a call-up.
“No, we actually didn’t have that communication,” he explained. “I know people asked Gareth about him and Gareth was up front in that he hadn’t been in his thinking, because he hadn’t been performing at that level, so I’m not aware of any communication we had with him.
“I don’t think there was ever a request or anything like that. It just wasn’t one we got to, so it’s a personal decision by him.”
The former Manchester United striker Greenwood has been in outstanding form at Marseille, scoring 16 goals in 26 matches for the Ligue 1 side, placing him second in the scoring rankings behind PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.
His sole international appearance occurred during England’s match against Iceland in September 2020, though he violated Covid protocols afterward when he and Phil Foden reportedly brought two women into the Three Lions’ camp.
If his transition to Jamaica is approved, it would reunite the forward with Steve McClaren, a former Manchester United assistant manager who now serves as head coach of the Reggae Boyz.
Greenwood emerged from Manchester United’s academy and was widely regarded as the club’s potential long-term forward.
He scored 35 goals across 129 outings for the Red Devils before his career trajectory shifted downward.
His Premier League debut came under former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, when he was just 17 years old.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
