Former Northampton youngster switches allegiance to play in World Cup

The 22-year-old, who left Northampton’s academy for Aston Villa under the EPPP scheme aged 12, currently plays for Borussia Dortmund and represented England from the under-17 level through to the under-20 level, making 23 appearances at youth level.

He was part of the side that won the U19 Euros in 2022, and was England's top scorer in the tournament with three goals. His switch, which has been ratified by FIFA, was made possible by the fact that he was born in Vienna to Nigerian parents before his family moved to Northampton when he was a child.

The former Aston Villa and Chelsea man is in line to make his debut for Austria in their upcoming friendlies against Ghana and South Korea at the end of the month. Ralf Rangnick's side have qualified for the 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico after a 28-year absence.

Chukwuemeka has made 30 appearances for Dortmund this season after joining the club on a permanent deal from Chelsea last summer. He only played 23 league games for the Blues.

FIFA allows players to switch national teams once if they hold dual citizenship, and provided they have played no more than three competitive senior matches before turning 21. Chukwuemeka has never made a senior appearance for England.

Carney’s brother, Caleb, also came through Northampton’s academy and featured for the first team before joining his sibling at Villa. Caleb currently plays for Swiss team AC Bellinzona.