James McClean M Wrexham b.1989

[ArdeeBhoy]

These Derry lads are not for turning their backs, except when it's their round.

Would entirely disagree with that! Well the last Doire man I was on a major session with...

[gastric]

Just wondering how do persuade a player to change allegiance back to NI ? You can't offer money, you can't guarantee a player a starting spot in a team (you would hope!), what exactly do you say or do? Threaten the player with OWC forum members paying a visit to them, offer free Bushmills Whisky for life or guarantee them qualification in the next World Cup Campaign, which would be lying of course. A very tough job which we made tougher by asking Don Givens to do it.

[Irwin3]

Just wondering how do persuade a player to change allegiance back to NI ? You can't offer money, you can't guarantee a player a starting spot in a team (you would hope!), what exactly do you say or do? Threaten the player with OWC forum members paying a visit to them, offer free Bushmills Whisky for life or guarantee them qualification in the next World Cup Campaign, which would be lying of course. A very tough job which we made tougher by asking Don Givens to do it.

[tricky_colour]

Just wondering how do persuade a player to change allegiance back to NI ? You can't offer money, you can't guarantee a player a starting spot in a team (you would hope!), what exactly do you say or do? Threaten the player with OWC forum members paying a visit to them, offer free Bushmills Whisky for life or guarantee them qualification in the next World Cup Campaign, which would be lying of course. A very tough job which we made tougher by asking Don Givens to do it.

I don't think you can, the only person who could apply real pressure to him is Martin O'Neil, if he wanted to, that is what had me worried.
He would just have to plant the idea that if he played for the Republic he would not get a game at Sunderland, that would be a powerful incentive.
However that's not the kind of thing Martin would ever dream of doing.

[The Fly]

Just wondering how do persuade a player to change allegiance back to NI ? You can't offer money, you can't guarantee a player a starting spot in a team (you would hope!), what exactly do you say or do?

NI's strategy seems to revolve around getting the player to accept his own limitations.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think Martin of the O'Neills would apply any pressure to McClean. I don't think he's that bothered about international football. You saw from the way he applied for the England job and has continually refused to apply for Northern Ireland - he's a career-driven manager, and to him McClean is better off playing in a Euro Championships or a future Irish team than languishing in Northern Ireland.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I don't think you can, the only person who could apply real pressure to him is Martin O'Neill, if he wanted to, that is what had me worried.
He would just have to plant the idea that if he played for the Republic he would not get a game at Sunderland, that would be a powerful incentive.

Know you dismissed the idea, but that's just crazy talk, surely...

[tricky_colour]

Indeed and apart from that I expect Martin would have played for the republic is the rules allowed it at the time?

[tricky_colour]

Know you dismissed the idea, but that's just crazy talk, surely...

Indeed it is, I just got a bit panicked when I read comments from Michael O'Neil and assumed they were from
Martin O'Neil, but I have calmed down now!!

[Sullivinho]

Just wondering how do persuade a player to change allegiance back to NI ? You can't offer money, you can't guarantee a player a starting spot in a team (you would hope!), what exactly do you say or do? Threaten the player with OWC forum members paying a visit to them, offer free Bushmills Whisky for life or guarantee them qualification in the next World Cup Campaign, which would be lying of course. A very tough job which we made tougher by asking Don Givens to do it.

The absence of rohypnol on the WADA list concerns me greatly in this regard. A loophole waiting to be exploited by a Machiavellian association if ever there was. Add the aforementioned Bushmill's and Gerry Armstrong's dulcet tone and you have a recipe for redefection.

[The Fly]

The IFA machiavellian?

[DannyInvincible]

Indeed and apart from that I expect Martin would have played for the republic is the rules allowed it at the time?

There were no rules preventing him from playing for us at the time. Whether he was aware of this is another matter. We also happened to be a bit of a shambles back then whilst NI were qualifying for World Cups and competing in the prestigious Home Nations Championships. Bothering to check out whether he was eligible mightn't even have crossed his mind.

[tricky_colour]

There were no rules preventing him from playing for us at the time. Whether he was aware of this is another matter. We also happened to be a bit of a shambles back then whilst NI were qualifying for World Cups and competing in the prestigious Home Nations Championships. Bothering to check out whether he was eligible mightn't even have crossed his mind.

Yes I would agree we were a shamble back then, however there was a fairly recent rule change regarding eligibility so what was that then?
I am probably as confused on the issue as many others seem to be.

[SolitudeRed]

I notice the back of todays Belfast Telegraph had the main headline 'Come home James' alongside a picture of James McClean celebrating his goal last night. It reports that O'Neill has been led to believe that McClean is still open to persuasion and aims to have a word with him. Typical Belfast Telegraph headline I suppose should be taken with a pinch of salt.

[DannyInvincible]

Yes I would agree we were a shamble back then, however there was a fairly recent rule change regarding eligibility so what was that then?
I am probably as confused on the issue as many others seem to be.

There was a rule-change in 2009 whereby the age limit (formerly the age of 21) by which a player could switch association was lifted. I assume that's what you're referring to? The general rule in place regarding eligibility, however, has always allowed for those possessing the nationality of the association for whom they sought to play to declare for that association. As far back as 1946, article 21 of the Regulations of FIFA contained the following:

"The players (NB. of International Matches) must be selected by the National Associations concerned and be subjects of the country they represent."

As O'Neill would have been entitled to Irish citizenship since the age of 3 or 4 by virtue of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, he would also have been eligible to play for the FAI by the time he picked up his first senior cap for the IFA in 1971. Check out the link in my signature; I wrote a wee bit about it once...