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[Albion] Sanchez: England or Spain?







Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo

I believe in Joe Hendry
Oct 4, 2003
12,097
I guess he doesn't have to decide until either country actually calls him up and he plays a game?

I believe he’s eligible to play for either country until he makes a competitive international appearance. Friendlies and call ups don’t stop him from changing to the other country at a later date.
 




Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,734
The Fatherland
I believe he’s eligible to play for either country until he makes a competitive international appearance. Friendlies and call ups don’t stop him from changing to the other country at a later date.

Does he have a UK passport?
 






Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Mentioned on another thread the other day, but potential England defence:

-- - - - - - - Sanchez - - - - - - - --
- - White - - Dunk - - Webster - -
Lampety - - - - - - - - - - - - March

Sorted.

So if we had a decent manager and striker we could be challenging as PL winners :thumbsup:
 
















peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 11, 2009
12,284
Being serious, he'd be mad to choose England. I sense a Spanish call up imminently, just to nail him down.

I wouldnt say he'd be mad to choose us, still a consistent top 10 nation, but Spain are better and he's Spanish regardless of residency, surely he will want to play for Spain.

If it were me and I was and English keeper playing in Spain, no question I'd want to play for England, Im English.
 


Birdie Boy

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2011
4,394
That article DOESN'T say he signed for Brighton at the age of 13. ???

(Mainly because he didn't :shrug:)
Robert Sanchez signed his first professional contract with the Seagulls in June 2015 after joining the club two years prior from La Liga side Levante.

The goalkeeper, who was born in Cartagena, Spain, started his career playing in the Granotas' academy, before moving to England at the age of 15.

They have worded that strangely. it suggests he signed 2 years prior to moving to England at 15. Perhaps they mean he signed at 17, short of his 18th birthday, after moving to England 2 years prior at 15.
Not my fault they worded it strange! So he joined at 15 not 13, big deal!
 
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clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,878
He’s not English. Utterly absurd this residency rule, could you imagine Shilton or Seaman having played in La Liga back in the day and as a result being Spain’s national keeper? Seaman giving a post match interview in his Spain kit in his broad Yorkshire accent. Leave rugby union to exploit the residency rules, keep it out of football.

Silly analogy, because if

1) Shilton or Seaman had moved to Spain as 15 year olds.
2) Were loaned out to Spanish lower league sides.
4) Ended up playing for a La Liga first team side.
5) Spoke Spanish fluently to the media.
6) Ended being picked for the Spanish National Team

You'd be thinking boy did well.

We have a funny attitude to sports people born outside this country playing for our National Team. We've almost got over our attitude to black players born in Africa or the Caribbean (for fear of sounding racist) but still extend to others such as Owen Hargreaves.

This is obviously a "new one to deal with" since he is a black player born in Europe. However, if his parents were born in England and had emigrated to Spain taking Spanish citizenship everyone would be saying "he is actually English innit."

I don't particular care what his name is or where he was born, or even what it says on his passport. After moving here before becoming an adult and England being his home, that's good enough for me if he has the chance and decides it's England.

Our Prime Minister was born in New York.
 
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Iggle Piggle

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2010
5,969
Well Big Bob Lynch certaintly seems more English than Declan `top of the morning, Where's my Guinness' Rice and Germany have been robbing Polish players for years to good effect. The international scene has long since abandoned the country of birth rule

From a practical point of view, the pathway to the England team seems an easier one. Jordan Pickford is no De Gea or even a Kepa.
 






blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
My advice to Robbie (not that i'm sure he needs it) is to follow your heart. Play for whoever you feel more emotional attachment to, don't try and play the game by picking the one that gives you the best chance of international honours or trophies.

I would guess, but don't know, that means Spain

If Robbie does choose England that is absolutely fine and i'll consider him just as English as anyone else. The key point to me is that when he came over, this clearly wasn't as part of some sort of plan to game the residency rules to play for a different country. You see this quite a lot in cricket and tonnes in rugby and I believe it diminishes international sport.
 




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