Mikel Arteta asked coach Fabio Capello and the Football Association to make a clear statement on his selection for England after admitting that he would consider such an approach "very seriously".
Mikel Arteta asked coach Fabio Capello and the Football Association to make a clear statement on his selection for England after admitting that he would consider such an approach "very seriously".
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The Everton midfielder, born and raised in Spain's Basque region, has emerged as a candidate for an England call-up if he chooses to apply for British citizenship and obtain a British passport, The Telegraph reports.
Arteta, who has not been selected for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland, said: "No one has contacted me about it, and I said really clearly last week my thoughts about it. If that opportunity comes, I will consider it very seriously."
"I don't think it's me who has to say anything, because it's not my job, but if Capello and the FA say it's all right, then I'll say what I think," he added.
Despite winning 12 caps for Spain Under-21s, Arteta remains eligible to play for another country having not been capped at senior level by the world and European champions.
The prospect of Arteta playing for England is proving to be controversial, as such a selection could damage the reputation of English football.
Everton manager David Moyes, however, says he would not be surprised if Arteta chooses to play for England.
"If Fabio Capello or the FA asked Mikel to consider playing for England then he would have a big decision to make. Mikel could arguably play in a European Championship or World Cup for England, so if he was given the opportunity I think he'd be tempted by it," Moyes added.
Capello met Arteta last week to discuss the issue of him joining the England squad.
The process is expected to take six to nine months to fructify.
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