England midfielder Jack Wilshere has stirred up a debate by suggesting players have to be born in England to be eligible to play for the national team.

Wilshere says "the only people who should play for England are English people. If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English."

The Arsenal player was speaking after it emerged the English Football Association was looking into whether Manchester United's Belgium-born midfielder Adnan Januzaj can play for England.

The 18-year-old Januzaj, who joined United in 2011, scored twice in his Premier League debut on Saturday, leading his side to a 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Januzaj could become eligible for England in 2018 on residency grounds if he hasn't played for a senior national team by then. He's also eligible to play for Serbia, Albania and Turkey, as well as Kosovo, which is not yet recognized by FIFA.