Adnan Januzaj declares for Belgium - so will the Manchester United youngster now go to the World Cup?
The coach of the Belgian national team has tweeted that the 19-year-old has made himself available
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Your support makes all the difference.Adnan Januzaj has finally made up his mind on which country he will play for, but unfortunately for Roy Hodgson, it isn't England.
The Manchester United youngster had options to play for various countries, with the possibility of playing for the Three Lions being raised.
However, Marc Wilmots, the manager of the Belgian national team, today tweeted that Januzaj will play for his country of birth, saying the player was "available for selection".
The tweet translates as: "I have received official confirmation that Adnan Januzaj will play for the Belgium national team for the rest of his career!"
Wilmots added: "This is great news and I am delighted that such a talented player is available for selection."
To have played for England, Januzaj would have had to remain a resident in the United Kingdom for the next four years – in total five years after his 18th birthday – in order to qualify. He also has eligibility to play for Kosovo, Albania, Turkey and Serbia, through parents and grandparents.
Today's announcement means the 19-year-old could go to the World Cup, if selected. Wilmots is expected to announce his initial squad on May 13.
The Belgian team, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois already in the squad, are being tipped to impress in Brazil. They are in a group with Algeria, Russia and South Korea.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere caused controversy last year when he claimed the idea of seeing the likes of Januzaj play for England made him uncomfortable.
Wilshere told a press conference last October: "The only people who should play for England are English people... If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English."
Wilshere later claimed his quotes were taken out of context.
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