‘You book your own flight’ – Iwobi on Nigeria, England national team experience

Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has spoken about the striking differences between the England and Nigeria national team environments, recalling that his early experiences with the Nigerian setup were far less structured than what he was used to with England.

Iwobi, who was born in Lagos and moved to England at the age of four, featured for England at youth level up to the under-18 team before eventually committing his international future to Nigeria.

Since making his senior debut for the Super Eagles in October 2015, he has grown into one of the side’s key players.

In an interview with High Performance shared on social media, the Fulham star reflected on how both systems differed in terms of organisation and discipline.

“Playing for England and playing for Nigeria are very different. England is a bit more strict. In St George’s Park or in a hotel, no one is allowed to come in, strict food, strict regime — that is it,” he said.

Iwobi explained that, unlike the highly coordinated England setup, Nigeria’s camp at the time could be unpredictable, with players sometimes left to sort out travel and logistics by themselves.

“Nigeria now, sometimes your flight is not booked properly. You have to book your own flight. You get there, and sometimes the people at the airport are not ready to pick you up, so you have to make your own way. The hotels are OK. Sometimes the light goes out, sometimes you do not have anywhere to charge your phone. In England, no one is allowed in the hotel. In Nigeria, people can come into your room whenever they want.”

The midfielder also revealed that he was initially hesitant about representing Nigeria and only agreed to give it a try after encouragement from his family. According to him, his father and uncle played a big role in convincing him to test the waters with the under-23 team first.

“My uncle and my dad said, just at least try once with Nigeria. So I tried the under-23s just to see, and then I could compare what I prefer. The pitch we were training on would have half grass, half AstroTurf, and maybe a bit of sand on the side.

“The coaches were strict in the sense that if you mess up a pass, you do not just get told off — you have to do a lap around the pitch.”

Despite the challenges he encountered in the early days, Iwobi said choosing Nigeria remains a decision he is proud of.

“It took a lot of convincing at the time, but I have no regrets. I did love England, but because I grew up in a Nigerian household, Nigeria has always been a part of me,” he said.