There may still be over 200 days until the start of the next World Cup, but every game matters for a number of Newcastle stars if they want to increase their chances of making it on the plane to North America next summer.
For England, the likes of Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento each stand an excellent chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s final squad, with Nick Pope and Lewis Hall waiting patiently on the fringes to see if they too make the cut.
It’s going to be exciting to see so many of our players called up for their countries next summer: a true sign of how far we’ve come in the last few years to boast such an array of international talent.
But for one Newcastle player in particular, the prospect of switching allegiances to another nation is still on the table, and it would be quite the coup for both he and his potential-future country if he was to make the switch…
Barnes opens door to Scotland switch
In a new interview with Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Harvey Barnes has revealed that the prospect of playing for Scotland is still a possibility for him, with Steve Clarke’s side having confirmed their place on Tuesday night.
A dramatic night at Hampden Park, which featured former Toon defender Grant Hanley in the Scotland defence, saw the hosts beat Denmark 4-2 in a must-win game to make their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
Barnes is eligible to be called-up by Scotland through his maternal grandparents, and he retains his eligibility by having only played for the Three Lions in a friendly back in 2020: UEFA rules state that only competitive fixtures ‘count’ towards a player’s allegiance.
Discussing the potential to switch ahead of the World Cup after previous talks with Clarke, Barnes said:
“It’s not something I’ve really spoken about or put thought into recently. There’s always been talk about it and a while ago there was bits and bobs about it. But recently it’s not cropped up.”
“It was great to see them win and get through last night, it was a crazy game, and I’m sure everyone in Scotland enjoyed themselves.”
“Is it closed off? No, of course it’s not. I’ve obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side of it is still there so it’s hard to say either way but there’s been no real chats or progression in that sense.”
International switches off the table for other stars
In the past week, we’ve seen Jacob Murphy’s chances of playing at next summer’s tournament take a hammer blow.
Bukayo Saka seems almost certain to start under Tuchel for England, and Nigeria’s exit in the CONCACAF Play-offs at the hands of DR Congo, means that the Super Eagles aren’t a possibility either.
But there’s still one tiny possibility we see the 30-year-old feature, and that’s through the Republic of Ireland. Should Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side progress through the play-offs, Murphy would still be eligible to switch having not played competitively for England, and having turned down interest from the aforementioned Nigeria.
Malick Thiaw meanwhile, whilst previously eligible for Senegal, starred for Germany in their last two World Cup qualifiers, as Die Mannschaft confirmed their place thanks to a thumping win over Slovakia.