Super Eagles  coach Gernot Rohr has allegedly  failed in his  attempt to persuade Everton’s rising star AdemolaLookman to commit his international allegiance to Nigeria.The  19-year-old London-born forward, who  joined  the Toffees  from Charlton Athletic in  a deal  reportedly worth £11m in  January,  has represented England’s Under-19s and Under-20s.

But Lookman, who announced himself at Everton with a scintillating goal with his second touch in the 4-0 pounding of Manchester City at  Goodison Park on January 15, is eligible to play for  Nigeria through his parents. The Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director  BitrusBewarang confirmed in January  that the NFF was interested in the youngster.

It is understood that Rohr discussed with the player through his representative in England recently but could not convince him to commit his international allegiance to Nigeria.

Rohr’s discussion with Lookman came after the Daily Mirror reported that  the player’s representatives   met   with some NFF  officials in London.

It was learnt that the German manager, who has been scouring Europe for young players with Nigerian roots,  wanted  to include Lookman in his squad for the London  friendly games against Senegal (March 23) and Burkina Faso (March 27) after getting the Dutch-born  TyronneEbuehi and German-born Naoh-Joel Bazee  to commit their international futures to Nigeria. Versatile Hannover 96 attacker Bazee,20, and ADO Den Haag right-back Ebuehi, 21, are on Rohr’s 25-man list for the London warm up matches  ahead of the Eagles’ Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa’s BafanaBafana in June.

It was learnt that the English FA had been trying hard to keep Lookman for the Three Lions, after losing Chelsea’s Victor Moses and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi to Nigeria after representing England at youth levels. The FA, who are still seething over the loss of Moses and Iwobi to Nigeria as well as Crystal Palace’s  Wilfried Zaha to  Ivory Coast, had  “hatched a plan to pluck the best African players in academy football to play for England”.

Report by Miyen Akiri