MIKEL ARTETA’S hopes of playing for England have been dashed after it emerged FIFA rules prevent the Everton midfielder from representing his adopted country.

A campaign has been growing in recent weeks for Arteta to be given a call up by Fabio Capello with the player believing he would be eligible after completing five years residency in the United Kingdom.

Having never appeared for Spain in a competitive international – despite representing his homeland at Under-16, U17 and U18 and U21 level – it appeared to pave the way for Arteta to switch allegiances. However, further investigation of FIFA’s statutes make it clear that Arteta cannot play for England.

“Under our understanding of FIFA rules the player is ineligible to play for England,” a Football Association spokesman confirmed yesterday.

The little-known article 18.1 (a) imposes the condition that “at the time of (a player’s) first full or partial appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association” he must already have “the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play”.

Arteta has always been Spanish, and having appeared for Spain in the European U16 Championships and then the FIFA World U17 Championships, any chance of being eligible for England would seem to have been extinguished even if he becomes a naturalised UK citizen.

The Spanish midfielder will instead concentrate his energies on Everton, and admits the team are desperate to kickstart their stuttering Barclays Premier League campaign when they resume at home to Manchester United on Saturday week.