Ashley Barnes: Austrian International?

Ashley Barnes is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Norwich City. Barnes has previously played for several clubs, including Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Torquay United. While Barnes is English and has played for the England youth team, he has also been linked with playing for Austria due to his Austrian grandmother. Barnes played once for Austria's U20 team in 2008 but was ultimately unable to continue playing for Austria due to passport issues and a rejected application for Austrian citizenship.

Ashley Barnes' single appearance for Austria's U20s

Ashley Barnes, the English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Norwich City, made a single appearance for Austria's U20 team in 2008. He was born in Bath to English parents, but it was believed that he could represent Austria through his paternal grandmother, who was from Klagenfurt.

Barnes was spotted by Austrian officials while on a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in July 2008. As a result, he was called up to their Under-20 team to face Switzerland on 19 August 2008. The match was part of a four-nation friendly tournament featuring Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Barnes made his debut as a substitute, replacing FC Wacker Innsbruck's Julius Perstaller in the 73rd minute in front of 250 spectators.

Barnes later expressed his interest in representing Austria at the senior level, but his application for Austrian citizenship was rejected in 2019. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior stated that he did not meet the "essential criteria for naturalisation" as his previous sporting achievements were not provided over a relevant period in Austria.

Barnes' eligibility to play for Austria

Ashley Barnes is eligible to play for Austria through his paternal grandmother, who was from Klagenfurt. However, his application for Austrian citizenship was rejected in 2019, rendering him ineligible to represent the country in football.

Barnes played once for Austria at the youth international level, making an appearance for their under-20 team in 2008. He was scouted by Austrian officials while on a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in July 2008 and was subsequently called up to their under-20 team to face Switzerland on 19 August 2008.

In 2018, Barnes was expected to be named to the Austria squad for the first time. Austria's manager, Franco Foda, was impressed by Barnes' performance against West Ham and stated that Barnes was a "very good striker." However, Barnes did not hold an Austrian passport, which prevented his selection.

Austria's Council of Ministers Head of Sport, Philipp Trattner, stated that Barnes did not "meet the essential criteria for naturalisation" and that his "Austrian roots don't matter." Barnes' chances of playing for Austria were ultimately dashed due to unexpected red tape and government intervention.

Barnes' application for Austrian citizenship

Ashley Barnes, an English professional footballer, applied for Austrian citizenship in 2018. Barnes was born in Bath, England, to English parents, but his paternal grandmother was from Klagenfurt, Austria. This connection made him eligible to represent Austria in football.

Barnes had previously played for Austria at the youth international level, making a single appearance for their under-20 team in 2008 while he was a Plymouth Argyle player. He was scouted by Austrian officials during a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in July 2008 and was subsequently called up to their under-20 squad.

In 2018, Barnes started the process of applying for Austrian citizenship to potentially represent the country in senior-level football. At the time, he was playing for Burnley in the Premier League and had impressed Austria's head coach, Franco Foda. Foda was keen to include Barnes in the national team squad, and the Austrian Football Association supported this decision.

However, Barnes' application for Austrian citizenship was ultimately rejected by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior in February 2019. The Council of Ministers Head of Sport, Philipp Trattner, stated that Barnes' "previous sporting achievements have no relation to Austria" and that his "Austrian roots don't matter." With the rejection of his citizenship application, Barnes' hopes of representing Austria in football were dashed, and he confirmed his ineligibility to play for the country.

Barnes' chances of playing for Austria

Ashley Barnes' chances of playing for Austria are slim, as he does not hold Austrian citizenship, which is a requirement for selection. While Barnes played once for Austria at the youth international level—appearing for their under-20 team in 2008—his application for Austrian citizenship was rejected in 2019.

Barnes qualifies for Austrian citizenship through his paternal grandmother, who was from Klagenfurt. He was scouted by Austrian officials while on a pre-season tour with Plymouth Argyle in 2008, which led to his call-up for the under-20 team. However, despite impressing in the Premier League for Burnley, Barnes' hopes of representing Austria at the senior level were dashed due to unexpected red tape.

Austria's manager, Franco Foda, expressed interest in calling up Barnes and was impressed by his performance against West Ham in 2018. Foda stated that Barnes "is a very good striker" and that he was "physically very present and makes a lot of good runs." However, Barnes' lack of Austrian citizenship prevented his selection.

In 2019, Barnes started the application process for naturalisation as an Austrian citizen but was ultimately unsuccessful. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior rejected his application, and the Council of Ministers Head of Sport, Philipp Trattner, stated that Barnes did not "meet the essential criteria for naturalisation." Trattner further commented that Barnes' "previous sporting achievements have no relation to Austria" and that his "Austrian roots don't matter."

With his application for Austrian citizenship rejected, Barnes' chances of playing for Austria are effectively non-existent. He confirmed this himself in 2019, stating that his "chances of playing for Austria are completely gone now, so now it's only England."

Barnes' career goalscoring record

Ashley Barnes is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker or forward. He has played for several clubs throughout his career, including Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough, Torquay United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, and Norwich City.

Barnes' goalscoring record has been impressive, especially considering he has often been utilised as a striker who also contributes to build-up play and provides assists. He began his senior career with Paulton Rovers, where he was a prolific goalscorer in the Southern League. This earned him a move to Plymouth Argyle, where he scored several goals for the reserve team and eventually made his first-team debut in the League Cup.

While on loan at various clubs during his early career, Barnes' goalscoring record was modest. He failed to score in five appearances for Salisbury City and only found the net once for Eastbourne Borough. However, he did show glimpses of his potential, scoring on his debut for Torquay United and netting twice in five appearances for Oxford United, including in an FA Cup tie.

Barnes' goalscoring prowess became more evident when he joined Brighton & Hove Albion initially on loan and then permanently. In his first full season with the club (2010-11), he was their second-top goalscorer, netting 20 times in 49 appearances across all competitions. The following season (2011-12), he was Brighton's leading goalscorer, scoring 14 goals in all competitions, with 11 of those coming in the league.

After moving to Burnley, Barnes continued to find the back of the net regularly. Although he suffered a serious knee injury in May 2015 that ruled him out for a significant period, he returned to become Burnley's leading scorer in the Premier League era with his 16th goal in the competition in March 2018. He also scored crucial goals to help Burnley avoid relegation and secure important victories, such as his winner against Hull City in November 2014 and his strike against Southampton in December 2014 to lift them out of the relegation zone.

Barnes reached the 100-goal milestone for his senior career on 21 January 2021, scoring the only goal in a historic 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, ending their 68-game unbeaten run at home. He also scored Burnley's 50th league goal in a promotion-clinching win over Middlesbrough, securing their return to the Premier League.

In his later years, Barnes continued to contribute with important goals, such as his penalty to defeat Liverpool again in 2022 and his final goal for Burnley against Cardiff City, receiving a standing ovation as he departed the field. His career has been defined by his ability to score crucial goals, assist his teammates, and contribute to his teams' successes.

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