Saint-Etienne's Green opts for England over France

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Etienne Green has chosen to represent England rather than France, he announced on Instagram on Monday.

In a post written in French, the 21-year-old who was born in England but moved to France as a child, wrote: “If the English FA are interested and decide to call me up, I’ll go with pride and commit to it 200 per cent.”

Green has been at Saint-Etienne since he was nine and made his Ligue 1 debut for Les Verts last April.

He was selected for France’s under-21s in the age-grade Euro in the Hungary this summer as the third goalkeeper. He did not play a single minute as France reached the quarter-finals.

Green said the France call up “was a surprise as well as an honour.”

“After the European Championship, the English FA approached me to see if I was interested,” he said.

“A painful, if not impossible, choice,” he wrote. “I was born in England and have lived in Saint-Etienne since the age of four. My mother is French and my father is English. It’s like asking someone to choose between their two parents.”

“After letting some time pass, I finally made the decision to make myself available to the English FA. It is not a rational or opportunistic choice. Two great countries, two great teams that have always made me dream.”.

England’s under-21s are due to face Romania and Kosovo on September 3 and 7.