17 March, 2008

A Sad Day for England, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica

Why you might ask; what do those three countries have in common? Nathan Ellington, that’s what! Currently the ex-Wigan and West Brom man is eligible to play for the above two Caribbean footballing powerhouses, as well as his native England, but in shock news today looks set to shun all three in favour of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The underwhelming Watford striker has scored more than 2 goals for the Championship high-flyers this season but has apparently already got his eyes set on the international stage. Ellington is married to a Bosnian, and has now revealed that he plans to discover if he can qualify to represent the Balkan nation and fulfill what has supposedly been his dream for years.

Speaking to Bosnian state television yesterday, Ellington said: “I love Bosnia and Herzegovina. I went there last summer with my wife, we visited Sarajevo and several other places. I was fascinated by the beauty of the country. My wife proposed the idea of me playing for their national team and I really liked the idea and I hope to make the contact with the officials soon. I would just like to help them.”

It’s extraordinary isn’t it? I just love the hyperbole surrounding this somewhat shameless final attempt to play international football from a guy that five years ago, had a pretty bright future at Premier League level. I genuinely wonder whether he could point to the country on a map without being prompted.

In other news, I once went on holiday to Liechtenstein so I’m pretty sure I’m eligible to represent them at most sports if they’re interested? I visited Vaduz, along with several other places, and was also fascinated by the beauty of the country if they ask…