Brighton boss Graham Potter says he is ready to support right-back Tariq Lamptey achieve his full potential irrespective of the country the teenager chooses to represent at international level.
Potter’s comments come after the youngster impressed again in the English Premier League.
For the second game in a row, the England under-21 international caught the eye with his pace and trickery. After both Brighton’s defeat by Chelsea and Sunday’s win against Newcastle, Lamptey has been selected as player of the match by BBC Sport readers.
His stand-out performances have led to conversations about which country he will represent at the international seeing as he is eligible to play for both Ghana- where his parents come from- or England where he was born.
The debate about which country he will represent has also been informed by the belief that Lamptey’s rise comes at a perhaps unfortunate time for England, with Gareth Southgate already spoilt for choice in the right-back department – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Kyle Walker and Reece James are all possible options for the position.
With Lamptey having been capped only at youth level for England he could yet decide to switch to Ghana, who he is eligible to play for through his parents.
But whatever his decision, Potter is confident it won’t be made because he doesn’t have the desire to fight off the strong competition to claim England’s right-back spot.
“He’s certainly not a person who would give up on anything,” the Brighton boss said.
“Whatever decision he makes I would fully support and try to help him achieve his goals.
‘But as a person, as a character, he’s a top guy. He’s not one that will give up, that’s for sure.”
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
