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Former England outhalf Toby Flood is considering switching allegiance to play for Germany.
The 32-year-old won the last of his 60 caps in 2013 and effectively made himself unavailable for international selection when he joined French outfit Toulouse in 2014.
A return to Newcastle for the upcoming Aviva Premiership season could see Flood return to the England fray, but with George Ford and Owen Farrell key components of Eddie Jones' side, he is prepared to switch to minnows Germany should a recall not be forthcoming.
“If there was any way of trying to help a fledgling rugby country, it would interest me,” Flood told the Times.
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Flood’s grandfather Albert Lieven left Berlin under duress in 1936, and the Falcons outhalf applied for a German passport in the wake of the Brexit vote.
“I have always been proud of being German,” he added. “It would be nice to go back and connect it all together.
“My mum is the last remaining true Lieven and she went back to Germany about 10 years ago to put together the family tree, so if there was a chance to connect into that it would be great.”
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