Premier League star snubs England after youth appearances to play for new national side

Bournemouth star Daniel Jebbison has snubbed the chance to become an international for England instead begun the process of switching his allegiance to Canada.

Jebbison made a number of appearances for the Three Lions at youth level, including for the Under 18s, Under 19s and Under 20s. He is yet to earn a call-up for the senior side, though is still on 21.

He spent the first half of this season on loan at Watford, helping the Hornets to the verge of the play-offs when he left. Since returning to his parent club, Jebbison has mainly been used as a substitute, though he did start and score against Everton in the FA Cup fourth round.

With his career stepping up, Jebbison has now made a decision on his future at international level. The forward had the choice of representing England, Canada or Jamaica, having been born in Canada to a Jamaican father and English mother.

He played for England at the U20 World Cup in 2023, but has been named in Canada's provisional squads for the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups. After again being named in the 60-man longlist for this year's Gold Cup, it has now emerged he has committed his future to Canada.

According to The Athletic, the move is the result of a sustained pursuit by bosses at Canada Soccer. An official announcement is expected soon with Jebbison already getting the proccess to change his allegiance from England to Canada underway.

Should that be completed in time, he would likely attend his first training camp in March as part of the Concacaf Nations League finals. Canada head coach Jesse Marsch was in attendance as Bournemouth lost to Wolves on Saturday, with Jebbison a late sub.

Marsch has pursued a number of dual-nationals since he was appointed last May. Jebbison is said to have been 'highly coveted' by a succession of Canada bosses, with Marsch stepping up the chase after missing out on Luka Kulenović, who pledged himseld to Bosnia & Herzegovina instead.

Marsch took personal charge of the negotiations, having a number of conversations with Jebbison and his representatives. The Canada boss is said to have stressed 'newfound urgency' with the 2026 World Cup, which his country will host, now less than two years away.

Jebbison is said to have been convinced to switch after Marsch and his coaching staff created a video to highlight how they would use him. Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies and Lille's Jonathan David also sent video messages to the 21-year-old.

Marsch added to his pursuit by creating a one-off Canada-themed pair of Air Jordans to gift to Jebbison. The striker's switch fills a key need for Canada and offers him the chance to play for a home side in a World Cup, something most professionals rarely get to do.

Jebbison will slot in as Canada's third-choice centre-forward, with Marsch looking to aid in his development. The former Leeds boss has a track record of improving young players and is looking to repeat the feat with the Cherries star.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.