Coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de La Fuente, has spoken out about the exclusion of Samu Omorodion from Spain’s squad ahead of their UEFA Nations League clashes against Denmark and Serbia.
The Spanish-Nigerian striker, who is currently thriving at FC Porto, has drawn attention from both Spain and Nigeria due to his form but has yet to earn a senior cap for either country.
Omorodion, who joined FC Porto during the summer transfer window, has been in sensational form. The Melilla-born striker’s tally currently stands at seven goals in six appearances across all competitions.
Despite his electric start to life in Portugal, Omorodion was omitted from La Furia Roja’s squad, with de La Fuente opting for more established forwards like Álvaro Morata, Joselu Mato, and Ferran Torres.
De La Fuente on Samu Omorodion’s international future
Speaking at a press conference, de La Fuente addressed the decision, offering words of praise for the 20-year-old forward’s potential. “He is a player who has been on our radar for a long time. He is doing very well and he is a player with a great future for Spain. He is not now, but he could be,” the coach said, as quoted by A Bola.
The coach also emphasized that Omorodion remains a highly valued player in Spain’s system, especially given his performances for the youth teams: “He is a player that we value highly, he showed it in the youth teams, and, if he continues like this, he will be here (in the squad).”
Before the 2024 Olympics, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reportedly made efforts to tie Omorodion to the Super Eagles. However, the move did not materialize, and Omorodion went on to represent Spain, contributing a goal in their gold medal-winning campaign.
The towering striker has received a call-up to Spain’s U21 squad for upcoming matches against Kazakhstan and Malta, but Nigeria will continue to monitor his progress closely, with hopes of convincing him.
