Nabil Bentaleb reveals that Daniel Levy told him to wait for England over Algeria

LOSC Lille's Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has revealed that he was advised to not represent Algeria and that Tottenham president Daniel Levy told him to wait for the England national team.

Speaking to Kampo account on X, and as reported by Ennaharonline, Bentaleb said:

"For me, it was self-evident to choose Algeria. When the Algerian federation contacted me, my coach and president at the time, Daniel Levy, simply told me: ‘Don’t choose Algeria."

He added: "Daniel Levy told me to wait, that Roy Hodgson (England’s coach at the time) was counting on me for Euro 2016. He said I would be qualified to play for England."

The Algerian international went on to say:

"At that time, a big agent also spoke to me and told me not to choose Algeria. But honestly, I didn’t care. For me, my choice was Algeria. Playing for Algeria was a dream. Some people should know that."

Bentaleb has earned 52 caps with the Algerian national team, scoring five goals. He represented Algeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2015, 2017, and 2024.