Former Manchester United youth-team forward Dillon Hoogewerf has indicated that he would be open to switching his international allegiance from the Netherlands to Nigeria.

Born in Almere twenty three years ago, Hoogewerf qualifies to play for the Super Eagles through his Nigerian mother.

After representing the Netherlands at U15 and U16 levels, Hoogewerf became provisionally cap-tied to his country of birth following his appearance in a European U17 Championship qualifier against Kosovo in October 2019.

However, he has since drifted out of the international picture, with his last involvement coming in November 2019 when he found the net in a friendly against the United States U18s.

Named Best Player at the 2018 Marveld Tournament, Hoogewerf has consistently expressed pride in his Nigerian heritage, revealing that beyond football, one of his long-term ambitions is to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development.

Explaining why he would like to one day play for Nigeria, Hoogewerf  told Voetbal International: "It's my mother's country. I've been there a few times and have said I want to help people there."

He added: "That culture suits me better. There's a better chance of being remembered in African countries. There are so many good footballers. 

"When I was sixteen, I had the chance to play for Nigeria. Then COVID hit, and I was playing for the Dutch youth teams. 

"This season, we reconnected. To play for Nigeria, I have to play at a higher level."

This season, Hoogewerf has tallied nine goals for SBV Vitesse, whom he joined in the summer of 2024 after spells with the youth teams of Almere City, Ajax Amsterdam, Manchester United and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel