Former agent of Super Eagles forward Emmanuel Dennis, gives an insight on what he thinks might have caused the decline in performances of the Nigerian; npflupdates.com reports.
Dennis after representing Nigeria at the U-23 level made his Super Eagles debut in 2019 against Ukraine. He came on as a 82nd minute substitute for winger Samuel Chukwueze, in a game that Nigeria drew 2-2.
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The former Zorya Lugansk forward was speculated to have snubbed a Super Eagles invitation for 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. The NFF, accused his them club Watford FC of preventing the forward from coming to the AFCON.
But, a statement from his former agent, the 25-year-old snubbed the Super Eagles call-up as a result of advise from his friends.
Why Emmanuel Dennis shunned a Super Eagles invitation in 2021
According to the agent, Dennis heeding the advise of the friends was a move towards his decline in performance.
“He (Dennis) was on fire at that time. So some people around him told him to not leave for the AFCON saying it could derail his rise, he believed them but from that time till the end of the season he only scored one goal,” he was quoted by Owngoal Nigeria.
“I really felt he would have given himself a reputation of an international star if he had gone to that tournament, such kind of reputation protects a player even at club level.”
“The move to Forest didn’t work and no one wasted time in asking him to leave on loan, the can’t do that with Taiwo Awoniyi who used his club form to solidify his international reputation. Dennis made a mistake which has set him back”, he further stated.
Recall, there was speculations in the past that the Kwara State Football Academy graduate is an indisciplined player.
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But the agent played down the talks insisting that the player has turned a whole new leaf at least the past one year.
“We don’t work together but I can tell you the reports about him are positive. He is well loved by ex Forest’s boss Steve Cooper and the boys. Nothing in that report is true”.
