Carney Chukwuemeka explains Austria decision

Carney Chukwuemeka says choosing to represent Austria at senior level came down to believing in the project and feeling an immediate connection with the national team setup.

Long regarded as one of England’s brightest youth prospects, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder has now fully committed his international future to the Red-White-Red and opened up on that choice in an interview with Sky Sport.

“It was more about the project and what it’s like to play for Austria, how it feels and the passion. Of course, I also spoke to Marcel Sabitzer and David Alaba, and they helped me a lot, but the manager was simply brilliant to me,” the 22-year-old explained. Chukwuemeka has quickly backed up his decision on the pitch, scoring on his debut in a 5-1 win over Ghana and immediately looking at home in the Austrian midfield.

His focus now turns to the World Cup in North America, where Austria have been drawn in Group J alongside Argentina, Algeria and Jordan. “At the moment, I’m focusing on learning German. My first time with the team was fantastic,” he added, reflecting a player eager to embrace his new surroundings on and off the pitch.