'Of course it's not': Harvey Barnes shares Scotland call-up verdict and lay of land with discussions
Newcastle man lifts lid on international status
Harvey Barnes says the chance of representing Scotland in the future is not “closed off” after the in-form Newcastle United forward spoke on his international ambitions.
Barnes qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents and has been capped once by England back in 2020 when he played in a match against Wales. However, under FIFA rules, the 27-year-old is able to switch allegiances due to there being more than a three-year gap between his last appearance for the Three Lions and Scotland’s next match.
A £38 million signing from Leicester City two-and-a-half years ago, Barnes has scored 19 goals during his time on Tyneside. However, he has not been considered by England during that period, with previous boss Gareth Southgate and current head coach Thomas Tuchel opting to select others ahead of him.
Born in Burnley, Barnes and Scotland boss Steve Clarke had held tentative discussions in the past. But, while the likes of Ipswich Town striker George Hirst opted to make the change from England to Scotland, no switch has materialised for Barnes.
As a result, Barnes’ future on the international stage remains unclear, though FIFA’s eligibility rules mean the former Foxes man would be able to defect to Scotland if both parties wanted it to happen.
Barnes watched Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark on Tuesday night that secured qualification for the World Cup and in a pre-planned interview before the result with Sky Sports, he addressed speculation on whether he could play for Scotland.
“It’s not something I’ve really spoken about or put thought into recently,” Barnes said. “There’s always been talk about it and a while ago there was bits and bobs about it. But recently it’s not cropped up.
“It was great to see them win and get through last night, it was a crazy game, and I’m sure everyone in Scotland enjoyed themselves. Is it closed off? No, of course it’s not. I’ve obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side of it is still there so it’s hard to say either way but there’s been no real chats or progression in that sense.”
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