By- Rilwan Adetayo Balogun
Chelsea defender, Fikayo Tomori has said his eligibility for three countries – England, Nigeria and Canada is good and bad.
Tomori, still buzzing at his surprise England call-up held a presser on Tuesday, where he explained how he feels about the call-up and what it feels like to be an England player.
Quizzed on how the past 12 months have been for him, Tomori said; ”It’s been pretty crazy and I’ve taken everything as it comes. Things have happened quite fast. I’ve been listening to people, working hard and it’s going well.” The Chelsea academy product said his father feels surreal about his decision because it has always been a dream. ”It is a bit of a cliché but it’s a dream. Obviously, playing in Wembley with all the people is such a good feeling. It’s indescribable and very emotional.” When asked how he discovered he’d be in the Three Lions squad. Tomori said it was the manager that informed him and he felt really elated. ”The manager (Frank Lampard) told me I’ll be in the England squad a day before the team list was released. He told Tammy too. It was a crazy feeling and I wasn’t quite expecting it.”
The England national team is preparing for a clash against Bulgaria and Tomori described the mood in the national team as ‘welcoming’. ”It’s been good, I’m very focused. Everybody is focused and everybody is welcoming. The manager is trying to get the team ready and even after the pitch, they spoke to me on what to do and I’ve enjoyed that so far.” While his England invitation was not expected, he said it solidifies his intention to represent the Three Lions going into the future.
Tomori has represented Canada at the youth level and was a member of the victorious England U-20 in the 2017 World Youth Championship in South Korea. He said; ”The call-up from England solidifies my intention to play for England. I was expecting a call-up at the beginning of the season and would think about where it cones from. Being eligible for three countries was good and bad. But being here now, I just want to feature, get my first cap and more afterwards.
On how much of an England fan he is, putting the 2018 World Cup into perspective. ”I was with Tammy, we were on holiday. I watched the first game and definitely, England. Then we saw the penalties against Colombia. I was born in England, I went to school here and I’m a fan. To be part of this is a dream.”
Fikayo said his loan spell at Derby County toughened him for what Chelsea threw at him. ”I think when you go on loan, you’re focused on that. At Derby we had a good season and made the playoff finals. I played well and I have been fortunate to be in the first team. I learnt lot more about the game at Derby so I could be more prepared if I get back to Chelsea.”
