‘Would Have Been In’ – England U21 Call Up Was Planned For Former Lincoln City Striker

Former Lincoln City striker Jovon Makama would have been called up for England Under-21 duty this week, had he not been injured.

Lee Carsley, England Under-21 boss, confirmed he even spoke to Jovon to tell him so after his breakout season in the Championship. Our history-making export, the first £1m player in the club’s history, hit double figures in the second tier before breaking his foot and missing the conclusion of the season.

He has still caught the eye of Carsley, who saw his side draw 1-1 with Andorra, before putting four past Moldova at Carrow Road, home of Jovon’s Norwich City.

“I really like Jovon. He’s a player that we’ve watched a lot. I’ve watched a lot of him. I actually spoke to him when he got injured in his last game,” said Carsley ahead of the game at Carrow Road.

“I wanted him to know that he would have been in the squad and it’s important that he knew that, because what he’s doing for Norwich is definitely transferable, I feel, to an international level. In terms of form, he would have been probably one of the main form players in the league, never mind the team.

“Sometimes it’s important that they get that from the outside, rather than, obviously, I’m sure he would have been getting a lot of compliments inside the club. But I think it’s always good for the players to know that we’re watching and I’m watching every single touch of the ball that they have, every minute that they play. A lot of it is just getting the timing right.”

Jovon has enjoyed quite a rise from the Imps’ youth team to cusp of international honours. After leaving Derby County as a youngster, he joined City alongside Freddie Draper and graduated from the academy. He had minimal loan experience, instead being used 42 times from the bench in his 79 League One outings.

He scored nine times for City across those matches, but took just 28 appearances to reach double figures in the Championship for Norwich. He moved on the eve of the current season, with the fee reported to be around £1.5m, plus significant add-ons which could see it sail past the £2m mark. It’s unclear if international honours are a trigger point for such a sell on.

Now 22, Jovon’s chances of international recognition have not gone away. While he may no longer be under 21, he can still be called up for qualifying and the final tournament. The rules state that players must be aged 21 or under at the start of the two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign. This means players are under 21 at the start of qualifying, allowing them to remain in the squad while aged up to 23 during the final tournament. Jovon could still play against Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Oisin Gallagher’s Ireland, all games scheduled for 2026.

Even if international recognition is not a trigger, there is also a healthy sell-on fee in the Imps’ favour as part of his move.  That means if he were to move for an eight-figure sum, which many are predicting, we’d get yet another significant cash boost.