Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss has admitted he chose to follow his heart when he decided to play for Morocco instead of Belgium on the international stage.
Viaplay have an interview with the Leicester man today in which he says it was a decision of the heart when it came to choosing his international allegiance.
The 20-year-old Leicester City player has duel nationality after being born in Strombeek-Bever in Belgium to Moroccan parents, meaning he was free to choose between the two nations when it came to deciding his international allegiance.
He was previously a part of the Belgium youth set up, making appearances for the U15s, U16s, U18s and U20s between 2019 and 2021 before then deciding to swap to Morocco.
That proved to be a smart move for him as he quickly rose up the ranks in their youth set up and was included in the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He later made his international debut in the third placed play-off defeat to Croatia.
He was later a part of the nation’s U23 squad which won the U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morrocco, qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in the process.
It’s a decision the Leicester man does not look back on with any regret, admitting it came down to a choice of the heart.
“You should always follow your heart. Look, you shouldn’t go against your heart,” he said.
“If you want to play for Morocco, you should do it. If you want to play for Belgium, you should do it. You just have to follow your own heart and don’t look too much at what people think. Or what people say for your choice. You just have to follow yourself, your own path.
“And for me it was Morocco. So, I’m very proud of that. And, uh… I think that I, uh, that I made the right choice.”
