Determined to reclaim the AFF Cup title, Thailand naturalizes former Chelsea star

(Dan Tri) - Thai football has just received good news when Jude Soonsup-Bell, a striker of mixed Thai and English descent currently playing for Grimsby Town (England), has officially agreed to play for the Thai national team.

The above information was personally confirmed by the President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), Madam Pang. She affirmed that FAT had completed the long process of contacting and negotiating with Jude Soonsup-Bell since last year.

Jude Soonsup-Bell is about to successfully naturalize as a Thai citizen (Photo: FAT).

Immediately after the striker born in 2004 agreed to wear the Thai national team shirt, paperwork related to nationality and international competition qualifications was urgently initiated, in order to promptly register players for the FIFA Days (national team gathering according to FIFA's schedule) in November 2025 to meet Singapore (friendly) and Sri Lanka (2027 Asian Cup qualifiers).

Thailand national team head coach Anthony Hudson was the one who directly proposed calling up Jude Soonsup-Bell. He believes that this 21-year-old striker will be an important addition to the “War Elephants” attack.

Jude Soonsup-Bell was born in 2004 to an English father and a Thai mother. He began his career at Chelsea, signing a professional contract at the age of 17 and making his first-team debut against Brentford in the League Cup.

In 2023, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur, playing for the U21 team, before having a short spell with Cordoba (Spain) and is currently a player of Grimsby Town in the English 3rd Division (League Two). This season, he has played 8 matches for Grimsby Town.

Before choosing to play for Thailand, Jude Soonsup-Bell was a member of England youth teams from U15 to U19.

Jude Soonsup-Bell used to play for Chelsea in the past (Photo: Getty).

The arrival of Jude Soonsup-Bell is considered an important step in the rejuvenation plan of the Thai national team, as the team is aiming to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. In addition, the appearance of this striker is part of the Thai national team's plan to regain the AFF Cup throne. After winning two consecutive AFF Cups in 2020 and 2022, the "War Elephants" lost the championship of this tournament to the Vietnamese team in 2024.

Madame Pang expressed her expectations: “Jude is a promising young talent, with Thai blood and a desire to contribute to his motherland. We will provide maximum support so that he can soon integrate into the team.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/quyet-doi-lai-ngoi-vuong-aff-cup-thai-lan-nhap-tich-cuu-sao-chelsea-20251028141812064.htm