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Man U 'teen sensation' Januzaj set to pledge international future to England

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ANI London

Teenaged Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj is reportedly set to pledge his international future to England over Albania, Serbia, Croatia and Kosovo, with which he has family links.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Belgium, had already rejected an offer from his birthplace to play for them in the future, although his England move has met with controversy among current England players, with Jack Wilshere saying that Januzaj would not be welcome playing for the Three Lions.

According to Metro.co.uk, Januzaj has reportedly told his friends that he will take advantage of FIFA's residency rule to play for England as under the ruling, a player can choose to play for a country outside of his birth country if he is living in that country for five or more years.

 

The report mentioned that Januzaj would meet the FIFA criteria in the next 18 months and may be ready to apply for British citizenship to help secure the deal.

England manager Roy Hodgson confirmed a fortnight ago that the FA were looking into the legality of selecting Januzaj - who is considered one of the best young players in the world, although Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger warned it could create a new trend of 'signing players' at international level.

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First Published: Oct 17 2013 | 9:29 AM IST

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