Austria Unable to Call On Barnes
Burnley striker Ashley Barnes has not been called up by Austria because he does not hold an Austrian passport. Barnes has scored six Premier League goals for the Clarets so far this season, including a goal in each of his last three Premier League games.
The striker qualifies for Austria through his grandmother but his previous appearance in 2008 at U21 level came under a permit granted by FIFA. Austria manager Franko Foda whose side play Slovenia and Luxembourg in friendlies later this month, hopes Barnes can join the squad in the future as he is looking to boost to his attacking options.
Speaking to Sky Sports Franko Foda said, “I went to see him against West Ham United at the weekend for the first time and he did a really good job by scoring a goal. Me and my staff were impressed with Ashley Barnes, he can use either foot, is physically very strong and makes a lot of good runs. He was also involved in every single offensive play for his club, so what can I say, he is a very good striker.
It was very important for me to see him live in the flesh to judge his competitive quality, now there are many other details to be discussed. Firstly is he eligible to play for Austria and secondly how can I involve him in my plans. I talked to people about Ashley Barnes, several Austrian players in the Premier League and their feedback was very positive.”
