Luca Connell (D/M Barnsley b.2001)

[Kingdom]

I flip flop on the capping issue. I think that there is a time and a place for verything.

I think if we start faffing around with caps it might do us greater damage in the long run with Irish-born Irish reared non nationals which will become significant for us to utilise in years to come.

The best example I can give is joe Lapira. Many of us regularly refer to
Him as being the most undeserving ridiculous cap we’ve awarded. And probably is. But that guy cherishes that cap more than anything and is supporters the ones supposed to be behind the players ridicule him. I would hope that we don’t start going down the road of capping one off youngsters just to tie them down. Particularly when they are relatively unproven.
Howvervet the supporter in me says to hell with it can we afford to lose someone? .

[Sullivinho]

His name is Luca
He plays in the second tier
He lives up north of Crewe
Dual eligible? Yes, we've been here before.

[CraftyToePoke]

I would hope that we don’t start going down the road of capping one off youngsters just to tie them down. Particularly when they are relatively unproven. Howvervet the supporter in me says to hell with it can we afford to lose someone? .

We are already playing the game though, we know we have lads who are 50 / 50 at best on their feelings of national identity in our set up, we accept that (that's not to tar all the UK born lads with one brush either) but some of them are dodgy, so if we are already in the game, why not make winning moves ? It will at least show up the losing hands. You could maybe argue that two most high profile ones JG & DR could have been secured with earlier more assertive moves. If DR is telling the truth, he almost certainly could have been.

This will happen again, that would be what guides my strategy on it, to stop it from repeating for the sake of the supporters, particularly young lads in green shirts with Rice on the back.

[samhaydenjr]

his name is luca
he plays in the second tier
he lives up north of crewe
dual eligible? Yes, we've been here before.

bravo!!!!

[Razors left peg]

My post is explicit. I’m not naming names and I’m not explaining further. That team is tight.

As far as I can recall this is the first age group of the development squad era. It would take a committed and talented kid not raised in Ireland to make those squads.

Because Im lazy and dont want to do the research myself.... was OConnell in that squad?

[CraftyToePoke]

Because Im lazy and dont want to do the research myself.... was OConnell in that squad?

He was, yes.

[Kingdom]

I saw a copy of the rule affecting eligibility last night. I think that even capping an under 18 player in a Senior international might not tie him down. There’s a reference to consent which I feel is ambiguous enough that could be challenged by someone desperate enough to change.

[Fizzer]

What, like an argument that they didn’t have capacity to decide because they’re not an adult? Can you post up the section there Kingdom for a look.

[Kingdom]

What, like an argument that they didn’t have capacity to decide because they’re not an adult? Can you post up the section there Kingdom for a look.

https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/1147-eligibility-play-for-representative-teams-811029.pdf?cloudid=zgopf66jfqyqkvxwcxef

Article 18 Change of Association
' If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is
eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, up to his 21 1t birthday,
and only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international
matches to the Association of another country of which he holds nationality, subject to the
following conditions:
(a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition at °A"
international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial
appearance in an international match in an official competition for his current Association, he
already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play.
(b) He is not permitted to play for his new Association in any competition in which he has already
played for his previous Association .
If a Player who has been fielded by his Association in an international match in accordance with art .
15 par. 2 permanently loses the nationality of that country without his consent or against his will
due to a decision by a government authority, he may request permission to play for another
Association whose nationality he already has or has acquired .
Any Player who has the right to change Associations in accordance with par. 1 and 2 above shall
submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA general secretariat. The Players' Status
Committee shall decide an the request. The procedure will be in accordance with the Rules
Governing the Procedures of the Players' Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber.
Once the player has filed his request, he is not eligible to play for any representative team until his
request has been processed .

I think this is the incorrect law that I've found online, i.e. there is an updated one, but I would suggest that there is scope in the wording of the underlined piece to push if you're under 18 and a decision has been made on your behalf.

Edit: It's the same law in the updated statutes. There are better legal minds around here than me. The use (or lack of use) of a second comma in the underlined is probably enough to protect FIFA from misinterpretation.

[irishfan86]

I interpret that more as if a player has been stripped off his nationality due to something political.....like someone exiled from a country, or stripped of citizenship for some reason. But I'm no legal expert.

[nigel-harps1954]

His name is Luca
He plays in the second tier
He lives up north of Crewe
Dual eligible? Yes, we've been here before.

If you hear something late at night
Some kind of Grealish, some kind of Rice,
Just don't ask him what he wants..

[Diggs246]

I interpret that more as if a player has been stripped off his nationality due to something political.....like someone exiled from a country, or stripped of citizenship for some reason. But I'm no legal expert.

Totally correct.... thats for war torn countries like Northern Ireland etc !

[SkStu]

If a Player who has been fielded by his Association in an international match in accordance with art .
15 par. 2 permanently loses the nationality of that country without his consent or against his will
due to a decision by a government authority, he may request permission to play for another
Association whose nationality he already has or has acquired .

Just to add to the above - for this section to apply, the request to change association would need to be due to an act or decision of a Government authority in country of the original association that would have removed his citizenship or nationality.

It could be war torn countries (i.e. independence movements) but it could equally be simply a change in policy of the government in a specific country. For example, if a hypothetical new government in Italy imposed a law revoking citizenship obtained by migrants that entered the country in certain years, any migrants who would otherwise be bound by the rules could apply to FIFA under this provision to change their affiliation to their country of birth (or another country that they might qualify for).

[Closed Account]

https://sportslens.com/report-tottenham-hotspur-and-everton-to-do-battle-over-bolton-wanderers-luca-connell/264416/

Will be interesting to see how the headline ages

Sorry, the headline I was referring to was in the link on reddit.
https://i.imgur.com/g7E7lIX.png

[Cathalsmart]

Plan A check

Next they just need to get that yes man in Southgate to try manipulate Luca to switch to England...

[backstothewall]

Named in the senior squad for Denmark and Gibraltar

[Diggs246]

Named in the senior squad for Denmark and Gibraltar

We will know soon enough were his loyalties are

[elatedscum]

he's more than good enough to play against Gibraltar. You can't argue that it's purely a call up for call up's sake considering he's playing at a higher level to Cullen and Byrne

[DeLorean]

As Zero points out on the squad thread, Connell may yet be cut when the squad is reduced from 27 to 23 for the qualifiers.

[elatedscum]

I'm sure it's probably a coincidence but unusually he signed with Adidas today. Michael Obafemi is also an Adidas player.

[TrapAPony]

Glad to see him called up and hopefully, this means the FAI have learned their lesson re young dual eligible players. 89 minute appearance vs Gibraltar now please.

[samhaydenjr]

Glad to see him called up and hopefully, this means the FAI have learned their lesson re young dual eligible players. 89 minute appearance vs Gibraltar now please.

Mick says he won't throw him on just to cap-tie him but is open to giving him a run-out if he "rips it up" in training camp: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/mick-mccarthy-has-no-concerns-about-threat-of-cabin-fever-for-players-925899.html

[TrapAPony]

Mick says he won't throw him on just to cap-tie him but is open to giving him a run-out if he "rips it up" in training camp: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/mick-mccarthy-has-no-concerns-about-threat-of-cabin-fever-for-players-925899.html

There is absolutely no reason why Mick shouldn't cap-tie him against Gibraltar that is unless we want to end up with egg in our faces for the umpteenth time.

[DeLorean]

Love the sound of this guy (he says hesitantly) - https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/even-if-england-call-luca-connell-ready-to-bloom-in-green-926126.html


But then Connell asserts unequivocally that should the manager choose to blood him in next month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers, he wouldn’t hesitate about playing in games which would have the effect of cementing his future as an Irish international.

“I wouldn’t hold back,” he insists. I’ve got to take any opportunity that I can. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. If you turn that down, not just the gaffer but the team wouldn’t be happy with you.

"I’d take the chance, yeah. My target is to get in the senior team, I want to crack on and hopefully I can make my debut.”

The Bolton Wanderers midfielder is not inclined to put too much store in reports that he is already being tracked by England.

“Yeah, I did see a few of the reports and got told about them but it could mean anything, couldn’t it?,” he says. “There was no direct contact. I’m happy where I am. If the gaffer wants to give me a chance, I’m more than willing to take that.”

[tetsujin1979]

interviewed on the FAI's social channels
1131467065238392832
As one of the replies says - could quite easily pass for Jason McAteer's son!

[Fizzer]

Those who know Connell are adamant that he’s fully committed and that’s great. However, as he says, there’s been no contact from England. There’s only one way to rule out any future contact.To not give this kid two minutes against Gibraltar would be,I would suggest,negligent.Until he’s capped, every interview he does with an Irish journo is going to be about England.Theres an argument that this approach is cynical, it is, but it’s a cynical business so let’s get it done.Theres a further argument that it cheapens the jersey, and maybe it does to some extent, but no Irish caps or jerseys have been or will be as cheapened as Rice’s three.

[seanfhear]

Cap tying them is the only way to stop lads doing a Rice .

Has to be done . Ok , the lad should be told that once he is named on the subs he very well may be put on and cap tied .

The choice is then up to him . What has been going on with Rice is making a Mockery of International Football .

[third policeman]

Those who know Connell are adamant that he’s fully committed and that’s great. However, as he says, there’s been no contact from England. There’s only one way to rule out any future contact.To not give this kid two minutes against Gibraltar would be,I would suggest,negligent.Until he’s capped, every interview he does with an Irish journo is going to be about England.Theres an argument that this approach is cynical, it is, but it’s a cynical business so let’s get it done.Theres a further argument that it cheapens the jersey, and maybe it does to some extent, but no Irish caps or jerseys have been or will be as cheapened as Rice’s three.

Beautifully put.

[mark12345]

Cap tying them is the only way to stop lads doing a Rice .

Has to be done . Ok , the lad should be told that once he is named on the subs he very well may be put on and cap tied .

The choice is then up to him . What has been going on with Rice is making a Mockery of International Football .

It's real simple. The ball is in Ireland's court.
We have put ourselves and the lad himself in a position to cap him against Gibraltar and who knows maybe even get a short cameo against Denmark if things are going well?
The way Luca will look at the first ten days in June is either positive or negative. He will think as follows:

Positive - Great, I was called up by an international manager who really rates me and he backed that up by putting me on the pitch against Gibraltar. I am looking forward to a long future in international football with Ireland.

Negative - I was called up by the Irish manager. He took me to Portugal and had a long look at me and obviously decided that he doesn't rate me all that highly. If he did he would have at least put me on the pitch against
a team as low as Gibraltar. So it's on to the next offer for me. I am young still and who knows maybe England will be interested down the road?

[Olé Olé]

All of this makes me realise how much I hate Declan Rice. This lad is obviously a cracking young player and would be on the radar of the English underage sides and his connection is the same as Rice but, my God, Rice screwed us.

[liamoo11]

All of this makes me realise how much I hate Declan Rice. This lad is obviously a cracking young player and would be on the radar of the English underage sides and his connection is the same as Rice but, my God, Rice screwed us.

Yeah he must feel a certain degree of embarrassment around how he behaved particularly the dragging it on for 6 months or so before he made his big reveal that to me was the real low point.

[Razors left peg]

Yeah he must feel a certain degree of embarrassment around how he behaved particularly the dragging it on for 6 months or so before he made his big reveal that to me was the real low point.
I doubt he does, guy is a bit of an idiot from any interview I've seen.

[seanfhear]

All of this makes me realise how much I hate Declan Rice. This lad is obviously a cracking young player and would be on the radar of the English underage sides and his connection is the same as Rice but, my God, Rice screwed us.
Sour Rice can stick in the throat . Yeah, he played us in a nasty way .

[Diggs246]

I doubt he does, guy is a bit of an idiot from any interview I've seen.

He doesn't give a rat's ass about us. He actually changed history at said he was only an Irish youth international in an interview when he was called up to England

[tetsujin1979]

When did he say that?

[Diggs246]

When did he say that?

In an interview when he was in camp with England

https://extra.ie/2019/03/20/sport/soccernews/declan-rice-interview

[Diggs246]

He might be kept on
https://www.google.com/amp/s/punditarena.com/football/oisinmcqueirns2758/mick-mccarthy-heaps-praise-on-luca-connell/amp/

[Olé Olé]

He's making all the right noises anyway to set us up for Connell getting a cap.

[IsMiseSean]

He might be kept on
https://www.google.com/amp/s/punditarena.com/football/oisinmcqueirns2758/mick-mccarthy-heaps-praise-on-luca-connell/amp/

We're only asking for trouble if we don't cap him against Gibraltar.

[elatedscum]

We'd be mad not to cap him against Gibraltar. All in the past now, but I argued at the time that we should have clearly called up Rice against Moldova and we should have called Grealish up when he was at Notts County. He's playing at the same level as Hourihane, Whelan, Browne, Judge and at a higher level than the likes of Cullen, Curtis and Byrne, so you can’t say it’s he’s not there in some part on merit.


We did the right thing with Obafemi and James McCarthy and long before that the likes of McGeady. Even from the players' perspective, the removal of doubt and speculation is a great thing. I guarantee if he was playing for Wales or N. Ireland, he would be capped against Gibraltar.


Examples from Wales: Rabbi Matondo (made debut at 18, born Liverpool), Terry Taylor (in current squad at 17, born in Aberdeen), Dylan Levitt (United u18, in current squad, 18, born in Wales but eligible for England), Matthew Smith (Man City youth, born in England, capped at 18), David Brooks (born in England, capped at 20), Harry Wilson (eligible for England, capped at 16), Ben Woodburn (born in England, capped at 17), Ethan Ampadu (capped at 17, born in England, eligible for Ireland and Ghana), Tyler Roberts (capped at 19, born in England). Bale and Ramsey were also eligible for England and were capped at 16 and 17.


In terms of players with similar elite potential, born outside of Ireland, who are yet to be capped, you have the likes of Conor Coventry and Joe Hodge and maybe Conor Ronan. Equally if Okoflex was up for it, I’d have him on a similar path as Connell. He was prepared to leave Arsenal to get game time for Celtic and he has spoken that emotionally he’s far more invested in Ireland. So I’m sure for a guy with his potential, we could make something work…

[elatedscum]

https://foot.ie/attachment.php?attachmentid=2794&stc=1Squad are back so it looks like he's on his way out of Dublin...

[tetsujin1979]

Picked up a thigh injury apparently, will miss both games.

[livehead1]

Picked up a thigh injury apparently, will miss both games.

Here we go again indeed...

[Diggs246]

Picked up a thigh injury apparently, will miss both games.

Would you guess a real injury? Its terrible that's our mind set ( mine anyway) is not of trust... Jesus

[tetsujin1979]

Whether it's real, or not, the end result is the same - he 's going to miss the two games, and we're facing at least four months of every little thing he does, or doesn't do, feeding articles and posts on whether or not he will declare for England

[Diggs246]

Whether it's real, or not, the end result is the same - he 's going to miss the two games, and we're facing at least four months of every little thing he does, or doesn't do, feeding articles and posts on whether or not he will declare for England

Yep its a killer, Its just so coincidental that he pulled out or got injured now, I wish we had something stated from the Irish medical staff in relation to said injury

Not this business of he hugged everyone

[Yard of Pace]

For me, I think the solution is to not bother speculating. I think that's a great post above listing players who became tied to Wales or whoever, but knowing what we now know about Rice, I am happy he's not involved with us, so I disagree that we should have played him just to tie him to us.
If Connell deserves a call up next time, I trust Mick to know his commitment level and play him if he is worth playing. Rice seems a bit dim and I can't see another player playing friendly senior internationals and then jumping ship. I'd like to think Robbie and Mick have a "gut test" of their own and will be able to get a handle on the situation.

With Grealish several of his underage team-mates have mentioned that he never seemed to be interested in playing senior for us. For me, the management of those underage teams should have picked up on that and had a chat with him or left him out of the squads.
I like the way Mick has handled Bamford so far. And as Leeds are staying in the second division for next year, Bamford might be feeling a tad silly now. But, really, who cares unless he really wants to represent us? Not me, anyhow.

[third policeman]

Possibly time to call up Crowley as a replacement?

[mark12345]

Possibly time to call up Crowley as a replacement?

It is indeed a perfect time to call him up.

[DeLorean]

The squad needed to be trimmed anyway so can't see there being any call ups, barring further injuries?