England Star Hints at International Switch Ahead of 2026 World Cup

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Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.

The 27-year-old has flirted with Scottish football for the past few years, prompting Clark to pursue talks with the winger in the early days of his tenure.

While the former Leicester City winger has enjoyed successful spells since his international debut, he has been unable to carve out a place in Gareth Southgate or Thomas Tuchel's squad. Barnes represented England 14 times at youth level; his sole senior cap came in a 14-minute cameo against Wales in October 2020.

With Scotland qualifying for their first World Cup in 28 years, the idea of Barnes switching allegiances was put to him once again. While he admitted he hasn't given it much thought, Barnes refused to close the door on playing in front of the Tartan Army.

Barnes was speaking to Sky Sports earlier this week. When asked if he had ruled out changing his international allegiance, Barnes said: "No, no, of course it's not [off the table].

"I've obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side's still there. So, it's hard to say either way but there's been no real chats or any sort of progression in that sense."

That non-committal answer will do little to prompt Scotland boss Clarke to go banging down Barnes' door. The former West Brom and Reading manager last spoke on Barnes eligibility in 2023, where he revealed he had made comment with the player to