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A youth team goalkeeper at Colchester United of England, Endurance Johnson has declared emphatically that he wants to play for Nigeria at both junior and senior levels, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although he still stands a very solid chance of growing through the ranks of England’s national teams, Johnson disclosed that almost everyone in his family is talking about Nigeria and he is ready to follow their zeal.
With that in mind, the Colchester U18 team’s shot-stopper is already thinking about donning Nigeria’s green-and-white jersey in the not too distant future, as he believes he is for now living at home away from home.
The youngster, who started playing football at the age of five, is in the second year of his scholarship at Colchester, disclosed that his role models in the keepers’ trade are Dutch legend, Edwin van der Saar, Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel and Manchester City’s Ederson.
He went on to declare in an interview with allnigeriasoccer.com how much he fancies the idea of being a full-fledged Nigerian international, Colchester United goalkeeper Endurance Johnson is open to representing Nigeria’s national teams.
The 18-year-old netminder, who hinted that he would love to start with an invitation to Nigeria’s under-20 team, Flying Eagles, believes he can bring into useful ends the experience he gained from playing for Colchester’s under-18 and under-23 teams in the current campaign.
Johnson stated: “I want to be different. Everyone here wants to represent England but me. My parents and grandparents being Nigerian, I feel like I will be doing them proud by representing Nigeria. Furthermore I enjoy the culture a lot and see Nigeria as my second home so why not.
“When I was younger I used to watch Van der Saar. My dad is a massive Manchester United fan and at the time he used to always put their matches on television, and I just used to love watching him pull off the saves and that’s what me made want to become a goalkeeper.
“I wasn’t the best technically but I was very good at catching the ball and was powerful and naturally had good springs. I was about eleven when I realized that and since then I have been playing as a goalkeeper.
“I watch quite a few goalkeepers but I tend to look at Kasper Schmeichel, he can do a bit of everything really but what stands out is his shot-stopping ability and I feel I have the same characteristics.
“I do also look into Ederson a bit as well because of his passing ability and I feel being able to distribute the way he does will be an incredible skill to have now and in the future as my career progresses.”
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