For 23-year-old forward Owen Oseni, the 2025-26 League One campaign has already exceeded every possible expectation he held when he joined Plymouth Argyle last summer. The first-year EFL striker, who wrapped up his debut season with 10 goals in 33 appearances for the third-tier side, has earned a surprise call-up to Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, and he says the news left him utterly stunned.
Oseni, who will join the Super Eagles for a pair of upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup warm-up friendlies against Poland and Portugal next month, is also set to feature in the upcoming Unity Cup hosted in London later this month, where Nigeria will face off against India, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe. In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the rising forward opened up about his reaction to the call-up, describing the honor as a life-changing moment he never dared to anticipate.
“I know I put together a solid season, but to get selected for a country of more than 240 million people, where roughly half the population would jump at the chance to represent the Super Eagles, this is a huge deal for me – I was absolutely buzzing,” Oseni said. “The national coaching staff had been scouting me, and they clearly took notice of the form I found in the closing stretch of the club season.”
That late-season form was impossible to miss: Oseni found the back of the net three times in Plymouth’s final four League One matches, a hot streak that almost dragged the club into the promotion play-offs before they ultimately fell just short of a spot. Before joining Argyle, Oseni plied his trade at Scottish Premiership side St Mirren, following a stint with National League outfit Gateshead. The forward was one of the first signings made by current Plymouth head coach Tom Cleverley, the former Manchester United and England international midfielder, shortly after Cleverley took the helm at the club.
Born in Ireland, Oseni holds complex international eligibility: he qualifies for Nigeria through his Nigerian father, and can also represent the Republic of Ireland and Ivory Coast (his mother’s home country). When the Super Eagles reached out to secure his commitment, the striker says the opportunity was too good to turn down, even with other options on the table.
“Representing any nation at the international level is a dream for any player, it would be massive for my development and my entire career,” Oseni explained. “When the Super Eagles came calling, it was a decision I simply couldn’t say no to. I never even thought this kind of opportunity was on the table for me this early in my career. All I’ve ever focused on is putting in the hard work and trusting that good things would follow – but I never imagined I’d be the one getting this call so soon.”
In the coming weeks, Oseni will share a training pitch with some of the biggest names in global football, including Nigeria stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. When Nigeria faces Portugal in their pre-World Cup friendly, he could even share the field with Cristiano Ronaldo, while a match-up against Poland will pit him against Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski. That high-level experience is something Oseny believes will give him a huge confidence boost heading into Argyle’s 2026-27 League One campaign, where he aims to lock down a permanent starting spot at the Home Park.
“Going into pre-season next term, this call-up will definitely raise my confidence levels,” he said. “My goal now is to come back to Plymouth and cement a starting place for next year, and this opportunity is going to help me so much to reach that.”
Oseni also used his call-up as a chance to push back against common misconceptions about the quality of England’s third tier. Many football followers dismiss League One as a lower-standard competition, but Oseni insists the division is packed with top talent that deserves more recognition.
“A lot of people look at League One, as England’s third tier, and write it off as not the highest standard because of where it sits in the pyramid,” he said. “But there are so many great players in this league, and so many current internationals plying their trade here who go on to perform incredibly well for their national teams. I think this call-up shows that League One gets the recognition it deserves – the individual quality across the league this season has been really high, and the division is much stronger than people give it credit for.”