Leon Best

The striker that many of us were raving about a fw weeks ago has made it clear that it doesn't want to play for Ireland anymore, and wants to try his luck with England. :(

He pulled out of the match against England in Cork for this very reason.

He's been on the bench for Saints a few times this season already, most recently as Monday for the game against Charlton, but has yet to make his senior debut.

I'm disappointed, as he does look very promising indeed. Think Clinton Morrison with the ability to create and score lots of goals. ;)

That's the major disadvantage of this new rule about being able to change sides.

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Originally Posted by Slash/ED

That's the major disadvantage of this new rule about being able to change sides.

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i know it feels like the honours been cheapened sometimes but he's entitled to take his time, change his mind even change it back if he wants. We dunno either what kind of pressures he's facing behind the scenes at southampton. I remember around the time trigger declared for us i heard Bolton were furious as they felt they'd get a far bigger transfer wedge for him as an England player than an Ireland player.

If he does'nt want to play for us he does'nt want to play for us, simple as that really. I'd prefer to have a squad of players who are 100% behind the irish cause.

But in saying that, if he thinks he can get in the England squad fair play to him, especially with the likes of Owen, Defoe, Rooney, Smith all well ahead of him for years to come, you can probably add Vassell, Heskey and Beattie to that as well.

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Originally Posted by Roo69

But in saying that, if he thinks he can get in the England squad fair play to him, especially with the likes of Owen, Defoe, Rooney, Smith all well ahead of him for years to come, you can probably add Vassell, Heskey and Beattie to that as well.

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If this guy lives up to his potential he'll probably be first choice for England in a few years.

Any source for this news BTW? I haven't heard anything.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

If this guy lives up to his potential he'll probably be first choice for England in a few years.

Any source for this news BTW? I haven't heard anything.

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If potential is anything to go by, why is'nt he playing week in week out, just like Owen, Rooney, Defoe and Smith all where.

Biggest blow since we lost Noel Whelan and then there was Kevin Gallen. :)

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Any source for this news BTW? I haven't heard anything.

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I'm the source. :D I'm doing some media work for the club, and got that from the guy who does all the academy/reserves reports. It'll be in Sunday's match day programme.

As far as I can see, it's purely his decision, and there's no pressure from the club at all.

f u c k 'im.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Lads, when are we going to get over this obsession with England wannabes? Are there not enough people out there who want to wear the shirt with a bit of pride? I'm not into this "I'll think about it" rubbish. You either want to play for the Republic or you don't. Fair balls to young McGeady, some of the stuff that has been written about him in Scotland is awful. If lads are going to declare, do it for the right reasons.

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Leon Best has been playing for Ireland at underage level for the last couple of years. I won't believe that he has declared for England until it comes from a reliable source. (no offence Dan but a member of a forum is hardly reliable :) ).

Good point, I've not seen this anywhere apart from here so we shouldn't believe it as gospel yet.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Leon Best has been playing for Ireland at underage level for the last couple of years. I won't believe that he has declared for England until it comes from a reliable source. (no offence Dan but a member of a forum is hardly reliable :) ).

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Well, I hope he's wrong, you hope he's wrong and I'm sure that Dan hopes he's wrong. It would of course be typical if this rule means that we get the likes of Jonathan Macken in exchange for a bright young thing like Leon Best. :(

:ball: PP

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Leon Best has been playing for Ireland at underage level for the last couple of years. I won't believe that he has declared for England until it comes from a reliable source. (no offence Dan but a member of a forum is hardly reliable :) ).

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None taken! :)

I'll scan the piece that's going to be in Sunday's match programme, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure that he's 'gone bad'. He hasn't 'declared' but doesn't want to write off his England chances, by committing himself to us yet. Seems that we're a back-up plan by the sounds of things.

As I say, I've been working at SFC's media department all week, and this is via the reserves/academy reporter who speaks to Leon on a regular basis, but I'll scan that piece up for you when I get a copy of it on Sunday.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Lads, when are we going to get over this obsession with England wannabes? Are there not enough people out there who want to wear the shirt with a bit of pride? I'm not into this "I'll think about it" rubbish. You either want to play for the Republic or you don't. Fair balls to young McGeady, some of the stuff that has been written about him in Scotland is awful. If lads are going to declare, do it for the right reasons.

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Tuff Paddy you win my completely unofficial "Post of the day!"

If you are an Irishman you would never for one nanosecond think of playing for the ould enemy, we have enough skin-deep Irishmen playing for us right now thank you very much.

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Originally Posted by 1MickCollins

Tuff Paddy you win my completely unofficial "Post of the day!"

If you are an Irishman you would never for one nanosecond think of playing for the ould enemy, we have enough skin-deep Irishmen playing for us right now thank you very much.

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I think Tuff Paddy thought that we found out that Best had Irish links and we were wishing he'd declare for us (just like Darren Fletcher when he was emerging). If TP knew that Best had already been playing for Ireland I'm sure he wouldn't have posted that. For all we know Best could have been 100% commited to Ireland so I don't see how he can get the "Post of the day".

I know squat about Leon Best and my remarks don't relate to Leon Best - it was Tuff Paddy's message which I don't think is specific to Best "when are we going to get over this obsession with England wannabes? Are there not enough people out there who want to wear the shirt with a bit of pride?"

Forget Kevin Nolan. Forget Kevin Gallen. I think I am going to become one of the guys who push Eircom League players, I'd prefer a real Irish man who ain't that good to a phoney one just looking for international football with whoever will take him.

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Originally Posted by 1MickCollins

I know squat about Leon Best and my remarks don't relate to Leon Best - it was Tuff Paddy's message which I don't think is specific to Best "when are we going to get over this obsession with England wannabes? Are there not enough people out there who want to wear the shirt with a bit of pride?"

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Tuff Paddy's post is way off topic and if he knew Best had been playing for Ireland the last couple of years he wouldn't have posted it. There was a thread about Leon Best and I described him as "the missing link". Dan opened this thread to tell us the reason he pulled out of the Ireland u19 match this month. Nobody here is getting obsessed with England wannabes as Best never mentioned wanting to play for England and we thought he was another Potter, McGeady or Tabb by declaring for Ireland so early on when he was born in Britain.

I don't want to burst your balloon here but 9/10 'Englishmen' who play for Ireland are England wannabes, I can only think of Breen and Kilbane as definite exceptions in the present squad. So I think if we were all honest we would say as Best is English born he would have played for England in a flash. For most of these guys it is a career move not an 'honour' to play for Ireland.

Caveat; I don't know about Best's parentage & upbringing but if both parents were also English born then I hold to the above, otherwise I would need to know more about his upbringing.

I don't think Tuff was way off topic - I'm not saying you are obessed with England wannabes but his point was valid in relation to the mercenary nature of Englishmen playing for Ireland.

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Originally Posted by 1MickCollins

I don't want to burst your balloon here but 9/10 'Englishmen' who play for Ireland are England wannabes, I can only think of Breen and Kilbane as definite exceptions in the present squad.

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Connolly, O'Brien and Stack are 3 names that come to mind that you could add to that list. Doc and Delap are maybe's. Its like we're supposed to expect players to change alliances. Best was as much of an Irish prospect last month as someone like Potter, are we not supposed to be suprised when a player decides his future lie's elsewhere?

http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstor...&viewstory=yes

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After two hat tricks already this season for Southampton’s reserves, Irish youth International striker Leon Best made his PREMIERSHIP DEBUT for the Saints who lost by two goals to one against Newcastle United at St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.

Leon joined the Saints from Coca-Cola League II side Nott’s County on the last day of the March transfer window in 2003, and took his U17 bow for the Premiership side in the beginning of April of the same year.

Two weeks later he was playing at U19 level, which is where he played for most of last season, although this term he has been a regular for their reserves side and has been included as a substitute for the senior team on the bench for their Premiership tes against Blackburn and Charlton.

Best was the hero for the Irish U17s when he scored two goals in their 3-0 victory over Russia in the Four Nation tournament in the Algarve - Portugal in March 2003.

His last outing with an Irish squad was in April of this year, with the U19s in the Porto Tournament. He was born in St Ann’s, Nottingham and qualifies for the Republic through Parentage.

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