Man Utd star Mason Greenwood switching international allegiance from England to Jamaica a ‘red herring’, says Southgate

MASON GREENWOOD will not switch his international allegiance from England to Jamaica, Gareth Southgate has assured.

Rumours of the striker being wanted by the Caribbean nation emerged over the summer.

The Three Lions have handed only a single cap to the 19-year-old, meaning he has not yet hit the threshold of three competitive games to fully rule out a change of commitments.

Greenwood was part of Southgate's preliminary Euro 2020 squad before pulling out through injury, but is not on the list for next month's qualifiers.

However, the manager is not concerned that the Reggae Boyz will try to swoop in for the Manchester United forward.

Southgate told reporters: "Normally, I don’t get involved in the Under-21s but he’s beyond that.

"I want to take a little bit more control of his development internationally.

"The dual nationality is a bit of a red herring.

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"He 100 per cent wants to play for England and there is no suggestion there is anything else there."

Jamaica have successfully brought over a number of players eligible for both nations in recent times, including Michail Antonio.

Greenwood was born in Bradford but qualifies for the team ranked 50th in the world through his heritage.

England face Hungary, Andorra and Poland in a triple-header over the next fortnight

Leeds star Patrick Bamford got the call ahead of Greenwood and should earn his first cap after impressing Southgate with his Leeds performances.

The 50-year-old stated: "This is a fresh cycle.

"We were always going to pick the bulk of the squad from the summer. We were never looking to make a lot of changes.

"His progress with Leeds has been excellent. This is a good chance for him to come back in.

"We know him for the Under-21s and a fabulous moment for him and his family."

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