Tariq Lampety switches international allegiance ahead of Qatar World Cup

Lamptey had the opportunity to play for England

Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey has chosen to play international football for Ghana instead of England ahead of the World Cup. Lamptey featured for the Three Lions at youth level, most recently for the Under-21s - but has chosen to now play for the Black Stars, who he qualifies for through his parents.

Lamptey missed England's international fixtures in May to decide his future

In May, the defender asked to be left out of Lee Carsley's under-21 squad for games against Czech Republic, Albania, Kosovo and Slovenia as he made a decision on his international future. "There's an issue over his dual nationality," Carsley said. "He's had an approach. It's something he's considering at the minute. "He's asked to be left out of the squad for a bit of head space. He's not switched, it's not cemented or anything like that.

"But he's had an approach (from Ghana), we have to respect that. We've made it clear how important we see him to us. I know the seniors have as well.

"It's not something that we've given up on. Tariq is fully aware of how important we see him."

The Athletic reported that Lamptey's father, Ahmed, played a major role in convincing the 21-year-old to switch nations. Former Brighton boss and Ghana's current technical advisor, Chris Hughton, also persuaded him to link up with Ghana. The full-back has been in stellar form for his club and helped the Seagulls to secure a top-half Premier League finish this season, with his displays catching the attention of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Ghana have added a number of new players to their ranks

Ghana have managed to add two more players to their ranks as well, convincing Mohammed Salisu of Southampton and Inaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao to commit to playing for them. A statement from the Ghanian Football Association said: "Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams, Mohammed Salisu, Stephan Ambrosius, Patrick Pfeffer and Ransford Yeboah [are] available for national selection. "We have always maintained that we will not limit ourselves to only a small group of players but would scout top talents across the globe who are ready to sacrifice for the nation and take us to the next level." Related links:

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