Choosing Italy over Nigeria easy – Kayode

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Brentford defender Michael Kayode has confirmed that he was approached to play for Nigeria but never considered switching his international allegiance after coming through the ranks of the Italian national youth teams, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Kayode is among the potential debutants called up by Italy for the upcoming international fixtures.

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The Brentford defender has received his first senior Italy call-up, having already made his mark with the Azzurri at youth level, scoring the winning goal in the European Under-19 Championship final against Portugal to help Italy win the title for the first time.

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“It was a very easy decision. I went through all the youth teams here. Nigeria approached me, but I never thought about changing national teams,” he said, according to Football Italia.

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“I think Italy have always been a great national team, and playing here is an honour.

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“I didn’t know about the Italy call-up before the game [against Chelsea]; I found out at the final whistle, on my phone. It was an incredible emotion, especially after such a big win.”

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A former Fiorentina defender, Kayode has made 63 appearances for Brentford, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

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He also picked Italy legend Paolo Maldini as his main inspiration.

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“Many full-backs inspire me, but the main one is [Paolo] Maldini. I love defending, and I believe he is the exception in this sport worldwide.”

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Kayode has also grabbed headlines in England for his long throw-ins.

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“One day, I woke up and found out I could do long throw-ins,” he said with a smile.

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“I didn’t use it much here in Florence, but at Brentford I found out they had a coach who focuses on this, so we are practising it in training, and it’s more used in England.”

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The 22-year-old joined Brentford on a €500,000 loan deal with an option to buy from Fiorentina in January 2025. The English club made his move permanent for €17.5m at the end of the campaign.

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