No England call up for N’Zonzi
SAM ALLARDYCE gave serious consideration to calling up French midfielder Steve N’Zonzi to his first England squad.
N’Zonzi’s agent and father, Fidele, contacted the FA earlier this month, alerting them to the possible residential eligibility of his son after he failed to make the France squad at Euro 2016.
However, FA Director of Football, Dan Ashworth, pursued the matter with FIFA, but discovered that the six Under-21 caps that N’Zonzi won back in 2009-10 rule him out of ever playing for England.
Allardyce has a connection with N’Zonzi, having signed him as an 18-year-old from Armiens when he was Blackburn Rovers boss.
The player spent the next six years living in England, moving on to Stoke in 2012 for £3m.
However, as he’d not completed his five-year residence before electing to play for France Under21s, he couldn’t be considered for England.
It’s a blow for Allardyce as he rates the Sevilla midfielder very highly and considers that his options are limited in that position beyond Tottenham’s Eric Dier.
N’Zonzi has drawn comparisons in the past with France legend, Patrick Vieira, and Manchester United’s £89m star, Paul Pogba.
“We did have a call about Steven but it was impossible,” says Allardyce. “It would have been of interest for me and we did explore it.
“He’s very good and never got the credit he deserves because of his size. Being too big can be a hindrance to a footballer . People think their feet are not as clever, and they’re not as mobile or sharp.
“This lad won Player of the Year at Blackburn in his very first season, having come from the French Second Division. We finished tenth that year.
“I’m not surprised he’s gone on to a club of Sevilla’s level and size in the end, and that’s not being disrespectful to Blackburn or Stoke.”
Allardyce recommended N’Zonzi to then Stoke boss Tony Pulis after he’d been sacked by Blackburn.
He was Player of they Year at the Potteries club in 2014-15, then moved to Sevilla for £7m.
The hope was a higher-profile club would enable him to force his way into the France squad for the Euros, but that didn’t work out.