UNOFFICIAL FORUM FOR THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Lagerback wants to build strong team ahead of World Cup with players eligible to play for the country.
Nigeria are expected to make a bid to lure Manchester City's England U-21 defender Nedum Onuoha back into their fold.

New coach Lars Lagerback is said to have compiled a list of players eligible to play for the Super Eagles but who might have been capped at junior level by other countries.

Onuoha is reported to be top of that list considering that he is in fine form for City at the moment and Lagerback is looking for options to shore up the defence of the Nigerian side.

Complete Sports reported that Lagerback will be contacting Onuoha who has once turned down a Nigeria call up for possible inclusion in the World Cup team.

"(Lars) has made it known to the player how well he would want him to play in South Africa especially with many pundits and fans condemning the team's defence at the last Nations Cup in Angola" Emeka Enechi, Lagerback's agent said.

"Nedum's coming along will increase competition for places and get the best out of the other guys".

Onuoha has risen from the youth team of City to command a place in the senior team where he has made 89 appearances and scored 2 goals since 2004.

He was born in Warri, South-south Nigeria, but was raised in Manchester where he excelled in school sports before joining City's youth academy.