22-year-old Everton midfielder Tyler Onyango has reiterated his desire to play for the Kenya men’s national football team, Harambee Stars.
Onyango, who is currently on loan to English League One side Stockport County for the 2025/26 season, is eligible to play for Harambee Stars through his Kenyan father.
Speaking in an interview on Citizen, Onyango revealed the two major reasons behind his push to play for the Harambee Stars.
Why Everton midfielder Tyler Onyango wants to play for Kenya
“Kenyans are amazing supporters of their national teams. I would love to be part of that journey and give them joy through football,” he disclosed.
Additionally, Onyango highlighted the appeal of playing under current Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy who has won the prestigious UEFA Champions League title and coached at English Premier League giants Manchester United.
“Benni is a coach I deeply admire. His experience is top-level, and it would be a dream to play under someone like him,” he added.
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Onyango, who has had other loan stints at Burton and Forest Green, also expressed his desire to be one of the great African players to feature in the English Premier League while representing Kenya.
“I love African football. There are so many great African players in the Premier League, and I want to be one of them — playing for Kenya, making a name, and making the fans proud,” he said.
At the start of September, McCarthy admitted that Onyango was a player he would love to have in the Harambee Stars, revealing that contact had already been made with regards to handing him a call up.
“Tyler Onyango is a player we contacted. We reached out to Everton to gather information and ascertain whether the player would be willing to play for Kenya.
Unfortunately, I was not able to speak to him personally, but the team manager spoke to his parents and they showed genuine desire for him to represent Kenya.”
The South African international added that timing may not have been in their favor during their pursuit, but he remains optimistic about involving Onyango in the future.
“But I think time was not on our side to finalize the process and bring him in to become part of the team. However, I definitely believe that going forward, he is a player I would love to have in the national team,” he added.
How is Tyler Onyango eligible to play for Kenya?
Onyango was born in England to a Kenyan father and an English mother, making him eligible to represent either Kenya or England.
When did Tyler Onyango make his official debut for Everton?
On 24 January 2021, Onyango made his first-team debut for Everton when he came off the bench to replace André Gomes in the 85th minute of an FA Cup fourth round victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
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