A former Premier League star has reflected on his opportunity to switch allegiance from Spain to England during his playing days
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
A former Premier League star discussed the possibility of playng for England(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia discussed a potential England call-up after not being capped by Spain at the height of his career. The retired shot-stopper, 49, could have become eligible for the Three Lions after spending five years in the country.
In the 2007/08 season, Almunia dislodged Jens Lehmann as Arsenal's number one . However, his ascendency came at a point when Real Madrid ’s Iker Casillas was first-choice for Spain, with Barcelona ’s Victor Valdes and Liverpool star Pepe Reina also battling for recognition.
As Spain embarked on a golden era, winning two Euros and the World Cup from 2008 to 2012, Almunia was overlooked. Having signed for the Gunners in 2004, Almunia openly discussed the possibility of playing for England, which could have seen him be part of Fabio Capello’s squad at the 2010 World Cup.
England are set to cross paths with world champions Spain, who have entered a new golden period, in the Nations League on Saturday. However, Almunia has since insisted he never seriously considered switching to the Three Lions as he feared the reactions from both sets of supporters.
“I did an interview and the journalist asked me about the Spanish national team. I said, ‘No, it’s not possible, but it’s possible I could try to play for England’,” Almunia told The Athletic in 2019. “So after that they all said, ‘OK, he might apply to play for England because he has played there five years already.’ Then the story was growing and growing and I couldn’t stop it. “
England failed to reach Euro 2008, having relied on Paul Robinson in qualifying before Scott Carson debuted in the fateful defeat to Croatia in 2007. The goalkeeping situation remained uncertain under Capello, with Rob Green and David James featuring at the 2010 World Cup, which meant Arsenal star Almunia may have been a welcome addition.
“I felt very happy in England — I loved English football, the country and the people,” Almunia continued. “When things go well, you feel you can do anything. And I felt I could play for England.
Manuel Almunia playing for Arsenal
Manuel Almunia spent three seasons as Arsenal's number one(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
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“But part of me inside was thinking, ‘What the f*** are you saying? If you play for England, people in England will want to kill you. Then if you go to Spain in the summer, people in Spain will want to kill you too. What are you doing?’
“I’m not the kind of person that wants these kind of problems. I never considered it seriously.”
Almunia clocked up 175 appearances for Arsenal during his seven-year stint with Arsene Wenger ’s side. He briefly joined West Ham United in 2011, having fallen out of favour at Arsenal the previous year, and later became a cult hero at Watford before retiring in 2014.
While the goalkeeper ended his career without international caps, Almunia may choose to keep a close eye on England and Spain’s clash this weekend. The two teams’ first meeting since the Euro 2024 final, England boss Thomas Tuchel will hope his side can record a statement result against Spain to start the extended international break on a positive note.