Tariq Lamptey reveals he is willing to wait for England international call-up with Brighton ace set to snub Ghana
TARIQ LAMPTEY says he is prepared to give England the chance to make him an international star despite the advances of Ghana.
Brighton star Lamptey is caught in a tug-of-war between the English and Ghanaian FAs who are desperate for the right-back to declare who he wants to represent.
And the 20-year-old, who signed a new five year deal with the Seagulls at the weekend, has admitted he will see what happens with the Three Lions before making a final decision.
Lamptey said: “On the international side I have to see what happens, because at the moment, I’m playing for England U21s.
“My main focus is just playing for Brighton and making sure that I’m improving each game, developing well and playing as many games as possible.
“If I work hard enough, and I keep believing myself, hopefully I’ll keep getting noticed, and we’ll see what happens.”
If I work hard enough, and I keep believing myself, hopefully I’ll keep getting noticed, and we’ll see what happens
Tariq Lamptey
Lamptey faces stiff competition in his position with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Kieron Trippier all in the mix-up for Gareth Southgate.
And despite his 5ft 5in frame the former Chelsea starlet insists size is no barrier to success in the game.
Speaking to talkSPORT he added: “Football is not a game of how tall you are, how strong you are.
It is about if you have the ability, and you work hard and you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.
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“I definitely don’t let my size hold me back. If anything, I think I use it to my advantage.
“I look forward to having the battles on the pitch I look, I look forward to going into each game and trying to get the better of whoever I am playing up against so I always enjoy the challenges.
“I feel like whatever height you are, however tall you are, it shouldn’t hold you back as long as you can play football and you have the desire to play.”