Brighton to back Tariq Lamptey's choice on international allegiance
Tariq Lamptey's decision to switch international allegiances to Ghana will not be down to him giving up on his England chances, insists Brighton boss Graham Potter.
The Londoner, born to Ghanian parents, is braced for a difficult decision with the Black Stars governing body in talks with the player.
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Lamptey currently represents England at Under-20 level but remains eligible to feature for Ghana as he has not made a senior competitive appearance for The Three Lions.
And despite Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Kyle Walker and Reece James all vying for the England right-back spot, Potter doesn't believe Lamptey is fazed by the competition.
"He's certainly not a person who would give up on anything," he explained.
"Then it's about him and his family and what the right decision for him is. Whatever decision he makes I would fully support and try to help him achieve his goals. But as a person, as a character, he's a top guy. He's not one that will give up, that's for sure".
Potter agrees that the appeal of playing full-back has significantly improved in recent years, with the number of options available to Southgate coming as no great surprise.
"It is a little bit of how the game has evolved. Sometimes the width often comes from full-backs rather than wingers,' he added.
"At the moment there is a glut of quality full-backs. Gareth has got a lot options there.
"We are happy with Tariq, we are happy with the other options we have got, and we want to try to improve".