Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia could be vying with North London rival Paul Robinson of Tottenham for the job between the posts for England.
How come? Well, as the Daily Mail reports, Spaniard Almunia is just one year away from qualifying as a British citizen through residency.
And because he has never represented Spain at any level, the 30-year-old keeper would then be eligible to play for England.
It's the sort of scenario that would drive to distraction those advocating quotas on foreign imports. And quite what reacton it would elicit from Messrs Blatter, Platini and of course Herr Lehmann is anybody's guess.
But the prospective Englishman Almunia revealed thoughtfully to Spanish newspaper El Mundo: "'I would never close the door on people who have shown me so much affection."
"If I can lend England a hand once the time comes for me to be eligible — and I want to thank the country for the support it has shown me — I don't see why I shouldn't play for them. I don't rule it out."
--------------------------------------
hahaha look on the bright side, at least Arsenal will have an Englishman in their starting xi