Quote:
Mark Carruthers: "The issue of new players is an interesting one and you'll be aware of the fact that there'll be many people in NI who think that, perhaps, you've got your eye down there on too many players who could play for NI. The IFA, of course, has got Gerry Armstrong seeking to persuade young players in NI to stay and play for the NI team. How much of a hot potato do you think that issue is?"
John Delaney: "Well, first of all, I want to say we've got a very good relationship with the IFA. There is, of course, the issue of eligibility which only comes up when we meet. My own view and the FAI's view is that it's really up to the player; whoever the player wants to play for, we've got to respect his or her choice."
MC: "Yeah, but you are overtly trying to persuade players to play for the Republic, are you?"
JD: "Oh, I wouldn't agree with that at all. I would not agree with that at all. I think if a player makes it known to us that he wants to play for the Republic, then we'll look at him, but we're certainly not on a recruitment campaign."
MC: "Yeah, well, why not, John? Of course, there are some people who support the Republic of Ireland who would live in NI and they would say that's precisely what you should be doing!"
JD: "No, I think it's up to the player. The player decides that he wants to play for the Republic or the IFA. Then, it's a matter for the association to get involved but only at that stage. I don't think any player should be pressurised into playing for either country or whoever it is. This applies across Europe for different countries as well. It's up to the player."
MC: "But the IFA is aggressively going out - I'm sure Gerry Armstrong wouldn't use the word "aggressively" - but is in an up-front fashion going out there and targeting players who could play for either team saying, 'We want you to play for NI.' You're saying, you're sitting back and waiting until the player makes a decision and then falling into line; different approach..."
JD: "Yeah, different approach, but it's up to the IFA, and I respect the IFA if they want to appoint Gerry Armstrong if they want to do that. That's a matter for themselves. Our approach is quite simple. What you want is, you want the players who want to play for you, Mark. You don't want to coerce them or make them play for us. That's our approach and our approach is very simple; if a player declares for the Republic of Ireland, then we'll assess them and bring them into the squad if he's up to sufficient quality but we're certainly not going out, 'We want you to come and play for us.' It's a matter for the player to make his or her decision and at that stage then, we'll take it from there."
Not a bad interview. I'll be honest; I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be actively seeking out eligible Irish nationals everywhere, irrespective of where they were born on the island of Ireland or around the world, especially given the IFA's severe breach of the accord agreed between Jim Boyce and Bernard O'Byrne in 1999 by dragging Daniel Kearns off to CAS. Still, we don't want to be coercing players into playing for us; we want players who want to play for us and if that's the official rationale, I won't make too big a deal out of it. It's a confident and secure approach and makes the IFA's current approach appear rather insecure and desperate in comparison. Interesting to hear Delaney's thoughts on the matter and the direction in which Carruthers takes the interview inadvertently turns the tables on the IFA in a way, which is somewhat amusing given the accusations they and NI fans have been flinging at the FAI of late. One thing though, is Delaney correct in asserting that the FAI don't actively recruit any dual nationals? At least, that appears to be what he's saying when he mentions their approach applying across Europe, or did I pick him up incorrectly?
