Callum Hudson-Odoi in action for Chelsea against Brighton.
According to Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo of CitiNewsroom (h/t football.london), a meeting between the father of Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Hughton, the favourite for the Ghana national team coach, was recently spotted. The 21-year-old winger is eligible to play for Ghana through his parents.
The Blues star has struggled to take his talents to the senior level and has often been left out of the Three Lions squad., The Chelsea star may be open to the possibility of switching international allegiances and pursuing a career with the Ghana national team. Hudson-Odoi has still not played in a major tournament for England and it remains to be seen if he will be keen to keep the allegiance.
If he does end up deciding to play for Ghana, the African team will have gained a player who at such a young age, has already established himself in the Chelsea squad. The winger’s time at the club has also seen him win the UEFA Champions League.
The youngster is a versatile footballer who has impressed in various roles under Thomas Tuchel‘s tutelage. The German has made the most of the winger’s versatility, also deploying him as a full-back when needed this season.
The meeting with Hughton was believed to be related to the player’s international future, with Hudson-Odoi previously having received call-ups to the England national team. Although Hughton has not been confirmed as the new head coach of Ghana, he seems to already be recruiting stars that he believes can add quality to the team.
Hudson-Odoi was last seen playing for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur in the league, as the winger picked up an assist in the Blues’ 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge last month. The Cobham product continues to impress for Chelsea and his recent run of form will not have discouraged Hughton from making his move.
The winger’s versatility is something Ghana would love to make use of, with the player capable of playing anywhere on the flanks. Although a winger by trade, this season has seen Hudson-Odoi develop into a wing-back and help the team out in defence when needed.
At 21, the winger has shown he is capable of doing a job even when deployed out of position. The future looks bright for Ghana if Hudson-Odoi makes a commitment to the national side soon. Hughton is sure to accelerate talks to convince the player to make the switch once he is officially appointed as the team’s manager.
England’s potential loss may very well be Ghana’s gain, as Southgate has not been able to give the winger any major opportunities in the Three Lions senior side. England’s squad is packed with talent and establishing yourself in the side is no mean feat. The Chelsea man may play in attack and defence, but such is England’s squad depth that he is still unable to stake a place in the side.
Despite all of Hudson-Odoi’s talent, England have done well so far without him and may not be too hurt with the player’s decision to switch allegiances. If so, Ghana will be relishing the opportunity of having a potential world-class star at their disposal, using him in major tournaments as they look to mount a battle against the world’s best national teams.
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