England U21 boss Stuart Pearce has failed in a bid to convince Everton striker Victor Anichebe to commit to the Three Lions over Nigeria.

Anichebe has been added to Nigeria's squad for the friendly with Australia at Fulham on Saturday, dashing Stuart Pearce's hopes of calling him into the Under-21 squad and effectively ruling the Everton reserve forward out of the England reckoning for good.

The 19-year-old dual national was born in Lagos and moved to Merseyside as a toddler but he has made it clear he would prefer to represent the country of his birth. Should Anichebe feature on Saturday he would be tied to the land of his birth for the rest of his career.