What started as a joke is becoming very real as a non-league footballer from Sheffield finds himself on a potential international collision course with Wilfried Zaha.
The dual nationality process is now at a stage where Atkin was asked how quickly he could get back out to the island to sign for his passport and train with the squad. In October he will spend two weeks doing just that. In November Seychelles are due to make their World Cup qualifying introduction, taking on Ivory Coast, whose star man is ex-Manchester United and Crystal Palace attacker.
MOVING CLOSER - Non-league footballer Jay Atkin, pictured at Stade Linité in Seychelles, could be weeks away from a potential international debut against Wilfried Zaha."It's all moved so fast. We had a family holiday there last year. Everyone has been brilliant, stayed in contact, the head of the FA's secretary checks in regularly. My aunty over there has been great, looking after the paperwork side of things for me. There's a lot going on, a lot of moving parts.
"I'm just going in and expecting it to be a high standard. I've watched a couple of games. It's always different watching on tele but to be fair it looked a decent standard to me. It's a small nation but it's the best of the best there. There's still 90,000 people on the island so the best of 90,000 is still going to be decent. I think 90 per cent of the squad play Seychelles League football.
If Atkin does go on to earn a first cap for the Pirates he won't be the first Yorkshireman or England-based footballer to do so. Bradford-born Karl Hall, formerly of Northern Counties East League Albion Sports, won several caps. Retired ex-Chelsea, QPR and Nottingham Forest defender Michael Mancienne, capped from Under 16s to 21s for England, is one of Seychelles' better known internationals having also qualified through his father.
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