Manchester United's Kehinde chooses Nigeria over England

Manchester United youngster Tosin Kehinde has revealed that he has chosen to play for Nigeria ahead of England, and has already taken steps towards representing the African nation.

Born in Lagos but raised in England, the 19-year-old midfielder is eligible for either country, but last weekend met with Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials to formalise his status as a Super Eagle.

Following in Iwobi's footsteps

In an interview with the BBC, Kehinde revealed that he has always been drawn to Nigeria.

"Nigeria has always been a part of me. I was born there. My whole family are Nigerian. I come from a very strong Nigerian background so the influence has always been around me," Kehinde said.

The United Under-23 player also said that he wants to follow in the footsteps of Arsenal's Alex Iwobi, who opted to represent Nigeria instead of England in 2015.

"When you are growing up, when you see players like Jay Jay Okocha, how good he was and the current crop of players such as Alex Iwobi and Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, the desire to get the opportunity to play for Nigeria has always been there really," Kehinde added.

United's future

Kehinde joined Manchester United's junior ranks when he was 13 years old.

He is yet to make his first appearance for Mourinho's first team, but in December the Nigerian began training occasionally with the squad at the invitation of the Portuguese manager.

"I hope to play in the first team, that's every player's dream and my dream also.

"The manager's continued belief in the youth and giving people opportunity has made me feel that if I keep working hard maybe I can get the opportunity as well," Kehinde concluded.