His father is a Nigerian and he revealed to BBC Sports why he wants to play for Nigeria. The 22-year old former Spain youth international defender, who is a regular for Real Madrid’s B side, is qualified to play for Nigeria since he has not played for any country’s senior national team’s side.
Hear him on BBC:
“I have lived in Spain all my life and I am not sure the people in Nigeria are aware that I have Nigerian blood. I crave for something special with Nigeria because it will give me a chance to properly connect with the ancestral home of my father. My father is from Benin City and even though I have never been there I always follow events in Nigeria. I celebrated when the country won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and I was cheering the team at the last World Cup in Brazil.” Derik told BBC Sports.
Source: LIB