Genk's Dessers Makes Big Claim He Would Have Picked Nigeria If Belgium Called Him Up

Racing Genk striker Cyriel Dessers has sensationally claimed he would rather represent the Nigerian national team even if he was handed a call-up by the top ranked FIFA nation, Belgium.

Belgian-born Dessers is still there for the taking despite making his debut for the Super Eagles against Tunisia last month as the game was only a friendly and he is more than 21 years old.

The Royal Belgian Football Association were the first to make a move for his services, handing him a call-up for an U21 EURO qualifier against Moldova in March 2015 but he didn't get to feature, paving the way for him to represent the Super Eagles without requesting for a change of association.

ESPN journalist Colin Udoh, in an interview uploaded to Youtube, asked Dessers a very unfair question if he would have still picked Nigeria assuming Belgium called him up simultaneously.

Dessers replied : "I think so, if I ask my mom to help me, she'll pick Nigeria for sure. If I ask my dad? Absolutely he's one of the biggest fans, he ordered the new jersey also, together with my brothers, so they love it."

A late bloomer, Dessers became a player of interest to the Super Eagles fans after contributing to an incredible 42 goals in 40 appearances for NAC Breda in the Dutch Keuken Kampioen Divisie back in the 2016-2017 season and his stock rose even further after he featured in the Europa League the following season.

On when he made up his mind to play for Nigeria, Dessers explained : "At first I must admit it's something that I dreamt of but I never could believe I would achieve this.

"For example ten years ago I was playing in the U19 in the fourth division in Belgium and I was going to college, I was going to study and it wasn't even in my mind to become a professional football player, I hoped for it but I would never expect, first I became a professional football player and couple of years later, six years later, I'm in the national team of a country with more than 200 million people. For me that's unreal for sure."

He continued : "The first time it started was four years ago when I was in second division in Holland and some reports came that there's a Nigerian striker who's scoring a lot of goals and at that moment I was like that it's true but then the first question came would you choose Nigeria if they come?

"I said if they come for sure but I don't think they'll come because I'm playing in the second league in Holland but when you see how I developed the last years, I played European football and I was top scorer of Eredivisie then you feel it's coming closer."

Despite a lively cameo against Tunisia, Dessers has not been summoned to the Nigeria squad for the double header against Sierra Leone this month because he hasn't been playing much for his club Racing Genk.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel