Joshua King has for the first time lifted the lid on his decision to snub the chance to play for Gambia instead of his country of birth, Norway, seven years after the incident.
The only child of a Norwegian mother and a Gambian father, King was offered a contract as a teenager by Manchester United and has twice been offered the chance to represent The Gambia at international level but has stuck with Norway.
King was first offered the chance to train with The Gambia U-17 team in London as they wind up preparations for the World Cup in Nigeria 2009 and said he was at the time concentrated on securing his long term plying future with Manchester United but had assured the Gambian authorities that he would make himself available for selection in the future.
But speaking in a recent interview with the Mirror Newspaper, King, 24, who is a full Norway international said: “I’m proud to be half-African but I am born and raised in Norway so why choose somewhere else.”
King, who responded to The Gambian invitation in an official letter sent to The Gambia Football Association, said at the time that he was honoured to be invited, but was quick to add that he intentions were to first establish himself in the first team of one of the most successful clubs in Europe before answering to national calls, hinting that he is always proud to be a Gambian.
“Thank you very much for your invitation to join the U-17 national team at their training camp in London and later in Nigeria. I am so happy to hear that your team has qualified for such a big competition,” King said in a statement sent to the GFA at the time.
“I would also like to say that I am very honoured to receive the invitation, since I am very proud to be a Gambian. But as you may know, I have got my first team No.41 jersey recently and going away with the team to Nigeria will keep me away for a long time and might delay my chance for a first team place. I therefore hope that you will accept my humble apology, but I have to turn down the invitation for the time being but later I will join the team. I hope that in the future I will succeed at Manchester United and can assure you that I will use my opportunity to help The Gambia – a home town I have always visited since I was born. I have a big family there and it’s always a great experience each time I go there to visit my family. Please give my greetings to U-17 squad and I am sure they would do well,” he concluded.
King went on to represent Norway at ever youth level and made his senior international debut against Iceland in 2012, and scored his first international goal against Cyprus later that year. He has since being capped 19 times by Norway.
His time at Old Trafford, however, was interrupted by a succession of setbacks and after loan spells with Preston North End, Borussia Monchengladbach, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers, King switched to Bournemouth in May 2015. He is one of the key players for the Cherries in their fairytale campaign in the English Premier League, which sees them on the brink of survival, sitting eleven points ahead of the relegation places with just five games remaining.
