Germany snub Wigan's Bullard offer

Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard looks dejected after the Premiership defeat to Arsenal on November 19. World Cup hosts Germany have told Bullard that they are not interested in nationalising him ahead of the 2006 finals.

World Cup hosts Germany have told Wigan Athletic's English-born midfielder Jimmy Bullard that they are not interested in nationalising him ahead of the 2006 finals.

"I know about Bullard but we want players with a German passport and a close connection to the country," Germany's assistant coach Joachim Low told Bild daily on Wednesday.

Englishman Bullard, 27, was born and bred in London but was willing to play for Germany at the 2006 World Cup finals.

"My grandmother Rose was born in Germany," explained Bullard. "Perhaps if Germany need players I could do a job. I could do (Michael) Ballack's running for him."

Like Bullard, Bayern Munich's French defender Valerien Ismael and Schalke 04's Brazilian star Lincoln were also rejected the chance to play for the World Cup hosts.

In 1995 Germany caused controversy by handing citizenship to the Karlsruhe striker Sean Dundee, born and raised in South Africa, but the forward never actually represented Germany.