Native? What does that even mean? Let's take an example: Marcus Rashford plays for England. He's Black. His ancestry "originates" (a subjective term) from Jamaica. His father, Robert Rashford, lived in Jamaica. After WWII, Britain faced a massive labour shortage because many of the men were dead. The solution was to invite foreign workers. For England, that meant the Windrush scheme. Those workers were invited to the UK and were the precursors to broader international travel - accelerated by trains and planes. Generations later, their children and grandchildren now live and work in England and Europe. That's the reality. Rashford's family didn't just 'turn up' — they were asked to come. They were born in England, educated in England, made families and will live and die in England.
So when you say he's 'not native' to England — well, his ancestry isn't native to Jamaica either. His ancestors were taken from West Africa and enslaved on the island. So how far back do you want to go? I mean, you're in the Americas right? Your people aren't native to America either — unless you're referring to the Native Americans. So by your logic, are you 'native' to America? Or do send them all back to Europe?
The reality is, national identity has mutated. It's different now than it was 200+ years ago. You can point to social and cultural issues if you want, but all life is change. The world moves on. The England squad in 2026 reflects that. Yes an element wants to live in the past, is not happy, protests. I would say it is each nations government to resolve these issues. They don't, and so the problem festers.
Should have brought Rash on earlier. Fkin German went full defense with a one goal lead, once they tied it up there was no coming back. Poor managing from a great manager
This post was edited by Shadowoffury on Jul 15 2026 03:50pm