Best and Pat Jennings would definitely start.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Danny Blanchflower would contend for a place also.
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Best and Pat Jennings would definitely start.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Danny Blanchflower would contend for a place also.
Fine Gael senator Frank Feighan was harping on about the "eligibility issue" again during the recent Dáil committee inquisition of John Delaney: http://ryandelarge.tumblr.com/post/1...ility-question
Feighan seems to have made it some sort of one-man crusade of his to deprive northern-born Irish nationals of an opportunity to play for their country. It's odd. Why is he so hung up about it and what's his motive? Even the IFA have moved on. Maybe he's just trying to give the impression he's done some background work and is asking the FAI tough questions when these types of meetings arise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan Kelly
I think Frank spent sometime in London growing up or in his youth. Maybe his views are a bit more entrenched.
Interesting that he says this:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/othe...-35396633.html
Personally I've always thought competing in the commonwealth games would be a good thing for our athletes.
I thought I'd post this here as I can't really think of anywhere else to stick it and the relevant match thread is closed/archived: https://www.facebook.com/YBIGireland...26827544003967
(How do I embed Facebook videos, by the way? The "Insert Video" icon/assistant in the comment-reply box informs me Facebook videos are supported.)
YBIG shared it on Facebook the other week, which is when and where I first saw it, but it's a fantastic video of the crowd in Belfast's fanzone when Robbie Brady scored the winner against Italy at the Euros. The goal elicited amazing scenes of unbridled joy (no doubt similar to those witnessed and experienced by hundreds of thousands of others up and down the country and in France at that very same moment) for the hundreds present.
And yet the likes of Frank Feighan presumably thinks our northern fan-base is in some way problematic... :rolleyes:
Unfortunately for guys like John Tracey, they have to answer to politicians like Frank Feighan, who has managed to weasel his way onto the sports capital funding committee.
I liked Tracey's response to Feighan's question about his opinion on Frank's brainwave (participating in the commonwealth games).
"it's definitely beyond my pay-grade" says John.
If Halls Pictorial Weekly was still running, I'd say Frank Feighan would get regular top billing, a perfect dope for the all out parody.
Derry City's Josh Daniels accepts a call-up to Noel King's home-based under-21 squad to play an Ireland Amateur side on the 11th of February: http://www.derryjournal.com/sport/fo...land-1-7804616
Daniels has previously played with the IFA's under-19s, although hadn't been called up by them in two years.
Both Daniels and the article describe his selection by King as a "switch", although I don't think it would actually constitute such under FIFA regulations seeing as the under-21s aren't playing a competitive fixture. There's also no indication that he has lodged any request to formally switch with FIFA. Maybe he has for all we know and it simply hasn't been reported, although I just get a feeling it's not a formal one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin McLaughlin
Not good enough Danny, he doesn't care which intl team calls him up.
He doesn't even tickle the gut test.:) “I’m not switching because it’s the Republic of Ireland, I’m switching because I haven’t been called up (for Northern Ireland) in two years and I want to play international football.”
If he has not played in a competitive u19 game for NI then he's not on the uefa radar and he doesn't have to switch in order to play for us.
There was an article on the42.ie the other day about Niall McGinn. Someone commented under it that he was in Vienna at the Ireland Austria game. I wonder if that's correct. I did meet his best mate from home at the Euros shouting for Ireland and I know he supported us. But that's different to actually travelling to a match.
True, although I'm not sure if his appearance(s) for the IFA was/were competitive.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
By the way, Josh Daniels was the player who lost his mother, his younger sister, a brother-in-law and two nephews in the Buncrana pier tragedy last March, so fair play to him on being able to keep ploughing on: http://www.derryjournal.com/news/bun...iels-1-7288490
To lose half your family in a single incident like that is unimaginably devastating and it shows great resolve to come through it.
I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. He explicitly stated he supported us after he played for NI against us in the Carling Nations Cup and if his friends head to games, why wouldn't he go along with them if not tied down with other commitments?Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Daniels (or Tracey as he was called then) was a very good prospect underage. I was surprised he never got picked up by an English academy but he's well on his way to becoming a good Premier Division player. Not sure he will be able to break into the full u21 squad now considering he's already 21 though so he's as well keeping his options open.
edit: he's actually 21 later this month
You'd hope he asked his club manager's permission first though, otherwise it could get awkward :)Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
McGinn wouldn't have had a game for Aberdeen over the weekend of the 11th of November, which was when we played Austria in Vienna, so he might well have been off. Aberdeen played Partick Thistle on the 4th and their next fixture was against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the 19th.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Would most Irish fans, respectfully, even recognise McGinn?
I'd imagine a fair few should be able to identify him considering he showcased his ability in the League of Ireland with Derry before moving on to Celtic (whom a lot of Irish fans support) for a few seasons. He's been playing in the Scottish Premiership since, with the exception of a season on loan from Celtic at Brentford. Maybe my perception that he'd be easily identified is coloured by my own knowledge and interest in him since he played for Derry, mind...
Do you think most would struggle to recognise him?
a) 50 international caps, including scoring in NI's impressive win over Ukraine during the EurosQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
b) two seasons at Celtic, then a further five at Aberdeen regularly playing against Celtic
c) impressing as a youngster in the LoI
d) one season in English D3
e) his popular restaurant business venture in Belfast
f) they may have seen him with the away support ;)
(I understand DI may rank these career highlights differentlly)
Jonny Hayes said he was going to follow Northern Ireland in the Euros with a few of his, presumably Northern Irish, teammates.
Seen a Q&A with McGinn recently where he seemed to positively identify as NI.
Haha, to be fair, (a) is a pretty significant one, although I think some of your games at the Euros would have been the first time I watched a full NI game, with the exception of games in which we were playing yous. Out of interest, would that be the same for most others here?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
(As for (e), you been to Fáilte? Good reviews?)
I watch your whole games occasionally (including all bar the first last summer). Hell, I even go to them occasionally ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Although I do hit that end of town occasionally it's usually for hospital visits so haven't managed dinner.
Pretty much, but I suppose up until the Euro Qualifiers everybody used play at the same time, more or less so I wouldn't have really had the opportunity. And then we just happened to play on the same days as them when 'the week of football' was introduced for that campaign too.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
McGinn seemed to positively identify as Northern Irish? Hmm... Where, when and what exactly did he say?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
He declares unambiguously that he's an Ireland fan here (at 1m12s):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8bkvgVTCE&feature=youtu.be&t=72
And he was also quoted extensively in a 2010 study by Darragh McGee and Alan Bairner entitled Transcending the borders of Irish identity? Narratives of northern nationalist footballers in Northern Ireland. In that, he admitted that playing for Ireland would have been his preference (reading between the lines), spoke of his reasons for choosing to play for NI and talked up the idea of career pragmatism whilst downplaying any real national identification with his present international team. I'm sure he has developed bonds within and fondness for the NI team since declaring for them, but he has hardly shed his national identity all of a sudden.
Hayes' trip to follow NI games was discussed before. Wasn't he (very much a peripheral squad-player for us anyway) heading over to follow his team-mate(s?) - presumably McGinn was one of them (not sure if Aberdeen had/have any other NI players?) - and he'd had it all booked before even seriously contemplating that we might actually qualify too? NI had already qualified for the Euros in early October of 2015 after beating Greece at Windsor Park. That was the same night we beat Germany, but that only guaranteed us a tough play-off to negotiate.Quote:
Originally Posted by McGee and Bairner
I don't think you could really suggest that Hayes identifies more with NI or that he doesn't care about his own country's fortunes, if that's the way you're trying to spin it?
Isn't this a departure from what we've previously seen reported and against the gentlemans agreement the FAI said they were adhereing to? i.e they wouldn't make first contact with a player to initiate a switch?Quote:
Originally Posted by Joshua Daniels
Ryan McLoughlin had an unsucccessful loan spell at Aberdeen before signing for Oldham.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
My sister bought a new house in Belfast recently, so I'll be up visiting the city a lot more frequently now. Must give it a try when I'm up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gather round
I'm no more implying that Hayes is a NI fan than you are implying everyone who goes to ROI matches with their mates are ROI fans.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Google Niall McGinn reveals all.
It's strange how you ignore your own concept of shared cultural identity when it comes to your endless babbling about Northern Irish related matters.
Eunan O'Kane switched for footballing reasons too IIRC.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
McClean said he switched for purely footballing reasons, however true that is.
Noel King seems to be a fan of a more assertive and proactive policy (rather than sitting back and waiting), which I don't think there's anything remotely wrong with in principle; good on him, if that's his approach.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
I guess the only problem with that, however, would be that his boss, John Delaney, does repeatedly say when questioned on the matter of eligiblity that the FAI don't initiate contact (presumably out of a concern for what you might call neighbourliness and because he knows it might irritate the IFA, even though it is entirely our right).
It seems there was some sort of informal agreement in 1999 where Jim Boyce (then of the IFA) acknowledged the eligibility of northern-born Irish nationals to play for Ireland in a meeting with Bernard O’Byrne of the FAI. Reading between the lines, it seems the FAI may have suggested or agreed that they wouldn't make first contact with a northern-born player but that if such a player approached them, then there was little they could do. Of that meeting, Boyce stated:
Regardless, I'm not sure anyone could credibly claim that such an agreement would still stand in light of the IFA's attempt to breach it wholesale by dragging Daniel Kearns to CAS a few years ago in order to have the court invalidate Kearns' eligibility and, by extension, the eligibility of all northern-born Irish nationals to play for Ireland. During the case, of course, the IFA even tried to argue that a gentleman's agreement had existed since the 1950s which allegedly rendered northern-born Irish nationals altogether ineligible to play for the FAI, but CAS completely dismissed any notion of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Boyce
Also, you wouldn't know from what Daniels says there how exactly the call-up to our under-21s came about. For all we know, someone at Derry might have mentioned something casually about Daniels' ability and willingness to play international football to someone in the FAI (maybe even adding something about his frustration with being ignored by the IFA), seeing as they'd be in daily/weekly contact, and someone at the FAI - maybe King himself - might have, based on that, made the call that Daniels refers to. That's pure conjecture, but the reality isn't always as black and white as critics of FAI policy try to make out.
I've done that. You referring to this?: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/spo...st-team-mates/Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
I've had a very quick skim through that, but I can't see what you're referring to. I don't really have the time to wade through articles and interviews for you. You made the claim; as is convention in debates, discussions and forums, now it's up to you to back it up. The burden of proof rests with you.
I haven't ignored the possibility of ambiguity or duality in respect of McGinn's national/cultural identity. How did/do I ignore it? I just amn't convinced it is relevant or applies in the same sense when it comes to McGinn as compared to, say, some second or third generation Irish born in England. The social context is completely different. Maybe McGinn does nationally or positively identify as Northern Irish too; I've just not seen much evidence of it. In fact, I've seen and produced evidence which suggests his connection with the NI team isn't nationality-based and that he's keen to stress he hasn't jumped into it gung-ho and embraced all that comes with it in terms of identity. He's evidently reluctant to embrace the whole package and is sensitive to how his lining out for NI might be perceived or misinterpreted by his own community. His decision to play for NI was a sporting career decision.Quote:
It's strange how you ignore your own concept of shared cultural identity when it comes to your endless babbling about Northern Irish related matters.
There's a very different social dynamic at play when it comes to identity in the bi-communal north of Ireland (as a crude general historical "rule", it has been a case of people strictly or "mutually exclusively" regarding themselves as being "one or the other" nationally/communally, although more exceptions to this "binary" are emerging and personal identities in the north are undoubtedly complex nevertheless) than from the dynamic at play when it comes to second or third generation Irish who were born in England embracing their Irishness (perhaps to complement their simultaneously-felt Englishness), which (besides the pejorative "plastic Paddy" slur some may experience, often actually from Irish people who were born in Ireland) has no otherwise significant stigma of which I know attached to it within their home communities in England, where they'll have been born and raised.
The likes of Christie, McGoldrick and Arter all proudly stand for the tricolour and 'Amhrán na bhFiann', for example, or sing along in the case of Westwood. They don't harbour any fear or worry that they might be perceived to be betraying or abandoning their friends and home community in England. That isn't so for McGinn when he lines out for NI, and, unlike McGinn, none of them, as far as I know, have felt or feel a need to go back and explain their decision to play for Ireland to the community in which they were raised or feel a need to reassure "the boys" at home of their reasons, lest their friends or community might regard them as disowning them or turning their backs on them or their home culture in some way.
Such a stigma (to be seen to be "selling out" one's community by identifying or sympathising with the "other side", or, from the unionist/loyalist perspective, to have done something deemed communally-treacherous so as to render one a "Lundy", in their eyes) does exist in the north of Ireland, however. Of course, it can exist to varying degrees of mildness or severity, but McGinn speaks of it in the quoted bits above - he details how his concern or cultural anxiety compels him to reassure "the boys" at home - whilst it also explains the following comment (in relation to bowing his head during 'God Save the Queen' before NI games) from the same research:
From what he himself has said publicly about supporting Ireland or why he chose to play for NI and from what I know of him and his background - being somewhat familiar with it in a general sense, given my Da is from a similar rural Tyrone GAA-devoted nationalist background (but, of course, without wanting to conflate my Da's identity with McGinn's or transplant the former on to the latter, as I appreciate identity is a complex matter and we can't just make blind assumptions) - I think we can come to an educated conclusion based on the evidence available. It's clear McGinn chose to play for NI for pragmatic career reasons and doesn't want his choice to be mistaken for a national or cultural affiliation with the unionist or British trappings of the NI team's broader cultural identity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall McGinn
So, forgive me for being somewhat suspicious of the veracity of what you say. You're notoriously unreliable besides. If you're going to claim "he seemed to positively identify as NI", I'll need to see evidence of what you're referring to so I can form my own judgment on his words.
As you say, we can't be certain how it came about from one quote, but, personally I don't think we should be approaching lads who have played competitively for Northern Ireland at U17/U19 or U21 level. I'd have no problem approaching them if they haven't played competitively as they would still be entitled to switch back should they play for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Why not? They approach ROI internationals regularly.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
Would you apply the same rule to under-age internationals who've played competitively for, say, England? Ciaran Clark, for example?Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
They're as eligible to play for us as they are for them. Maybe you view it differently, but I don't see why either/any association should have some sort of original or permanent claim to any player (until that player is cap-tied in accordance with the regulations obviously). It's the player's choice ultimately and we're fully entitled, legally and morally, to make him aware of his options, whatever his circumstances may be, so long as he's not cap-tied elsewhere and so long as he's an eligible Irish national. In my opinion. :)Quote:
I'd have no problem approaching them if they haven't played competitively as they would still be entitled to switch back should they play for us.
Of course. Obviously there's no black and white way to go about it, but approaching a player who plays for another team, be it club, amateur or international is tapping up in my opinion. Just a personal thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I get annoyed when local clubs to it to underage players I'd coach. Sometimes the managers have called me first, which was a nice touch. Obviously nothing illegal about it, I just think there's a right way
and a wrong way to go about things. In Clarks case, and it could well be the same with Daniels, Richie Dunne contacted the FAI, obviously with Clarks knowledge. That's enough for me.
According to uefa.com the source of all underage players info, Josh Daniels was never capped at competitive level but Josh Tracey was, so he would have to make a final switch if he was deemed good enough for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
AgreedQuote:
By the way, Josh Daniels was the player who lost his mother, his younger sister, a brother-in-law and two nephews in the Buncrana pier tragedy last March, so fair play to him on being able to keep ploughing on: http://www.derryjournal.com/news/bun...iels-1-7288490
To lose half your family in a single incident like that is unimaginably devastating and it shows great resolve to come through it.
Josh was not called up for NI's u21 squad, he was a "free agent". The IFA evidently don't give a fiddlers about Josh.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
The FA were not informed of the luring of Clark by the FAI, why would R.Dunne contacting the FAI with Clark's knowledge, absolve the FAI of the henious crime of tapping up?Quote:
I get annoyed when local clubs to it to underage players I'd coach. Sometimes the managers have called me first, which was a nice touch. Obviously nothing illegal about it, I just think there's a right way
and a wrong way to go about things. In Clark's case, and it could well be the same with Daniels, Richie Dunne contacted the FAI, obviously with Clarks knowledge. That's enough for me.
That's the spirit of the eligibility rules, it's a free choice, the rules are balanced towards a player choosing. The FAI could tell the FA they are inviting C Clark, but you can imagine the FA suddenly feeling a lot of love for Ciaran Clark in the off chance that that early promise Clark showed would develop further.
That's the reason the regulations around switching were eased somewhat, so dual eligible players that were capped in the hundreds at underage level and senior friendly, like England were prone to do, were not exploited and left to rot in the ignored pile in later years.
Where and when did he say that? Honestly, where do you get this stuff? Do you just make it up?... :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
McClean obviously switched for reasons relating to cultural comfort and national identity. He has never been shy to emphasise that he never identified culturally or nationally with NI and he has always been very forthright about his Irish national identity (see, for example, when he corrected Colin Murray after Murray erroneously referred to him as "Northern Irish") and where his national allegiance lies. He said, "My dream has always been to play for the Republic of Ireland", when he first opted to switch and later spoke of his cultural discomfort when lining out for NI:
Here are some further quotes and snippets from different articles in which he has expressly indicated that he wanted to play for Ireland because he has always nationally identified with the team...Quote:
Originally Posted by James McClean
In response to criticism from Keith Gillespie due to the decision to switch association:
When asked on Twitter if he regretted "defecting" from the IFA to the FAI:Quote:
Originally Posted by James McClean
From an interview with Vincent Hogan:Quote:
Originally Posted by James McClean
Nowhere has he claimed he switched for "purely footballing reasons". You've ether imagined that or you've just made it up. I actually don't know how you could even think that unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the past half a decade. McClean is the most vocal and ardent republican of all the northern-born players to have switched! You truly baffle me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Hogan
Either way, the moral of the story is the same as ever; stop being so careless with the facts.
They're alternative facts.
Besart Berisha a noble deserter, has been given permission by Fifa to switch from Albania to Kosovo.
Kosovo were admitted into Uefa in May 2016, just a guess but I'd say they have a year where they can lure Kosovans previously capped by other countries at competitive level.
Is Michael O'Neill Nigel Worthington in disguise?: http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/f...neill-12729068
I'm not sure of the exact details or nature of McEneff's request or switch myself, but Michael O'Neill claims Aaron McEneff was "approached" by the FAI when NI's under-21s (for whom McEneff had already played in Euro qualifiers) had two games to go in their Euro qualifying campaign, but FIFA rules state (in article 8.1(b) on page 71 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes) that if a player is to switch association, "[h]e is not permitted to play for his new association in any competition in which he has already played for his previous association", so McEneff would not have been much use to Noel King anyway, as far as selecting him for under-21 competition was concerned. Something doesn't quite add up there...Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Sherrard
An Irish Mirror piece from the 24th of February also states the following:
I'm not sure what McEneff's situation is now exactly then and whether or not FIFA have formally approved a request to switch (assuming he lodged one with them). Anyone else having any further info or insight?Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Scully
Regardless, it'd be interesting to know how exactly McEneff was "approached", as O'Neill claims. John Delaney has denied "overtly trying to persuade players to play for [Ireland]" and has stated that "if a player makes it known to [the FAI] that he wants to play for the Republic, then [the FAI will] look at him, but [the FAI are] certainly not on a recruitment campaign". He also added: "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."
Of course, McEneff plays for Derry City, who play in the LOI, which is run by the FAI, so it'd be odd if there weren't at least informal channels, connections, contacts and daily/weekly communications between players, coaches, club officials and FAI personnel on account of Derry playing within the FAI's structures. Something may emerge from a bit of casual chit-chat after an idea is aired by one party or another or a suggestion for consideration becomes more concrete and this may then be framed as "an FAI approach". You can easily see how something like that could happen but it's then made out to be indicative of some "sinister FAI policy" to snatch "vulnerable youths" away from their "rightful owners".
Irrespective of all that though, the likes of McEneff are fully eligible players and are fully entitled to have the option of representing Ireland made clear to them so they can make their own decision then. Whilst I find Delaney's words interesting in light of O'Neill's claims (combined with previous accusations by NI fans), I would have no qualms personally with a more forward and forthright approach to the recruitment of eligible players who may be able to offer something.
The IFA have been happy to employ an aggressive recruitment policy themselves besides; see the employment of Gerry Armstrong as "Elite Player Mentor", for example. In 2011, the IFA deployed him on a scaremongering campaign to Derry, where he spoke to 16/17-year-olds in St. Columb's College (PDF link) and St. Brigid's College, as well as kids at Ebrington Primary School. Armstrong is no longer employed in such a role - he stepped down after O'Neill was appointed as O'Neill took over recruitment duties directly himself - but why should we be imposing detrimental restrictions upon ourselves? And is O'Neill seriously trying to make out that he doesn't or wouldn't discuss future international hopes/intentions with players under the age of 21 "until they are a bit older"? Gimme a break! All associations are in the business of recruiting the best players entitled and available to play for them.
If O'Neill feels there's some "immorality" in the application of FIFA's rules, he should make his case to FIFA. Or he could just have a read of the Kearns judgment, not waste his time further and get on with his own job rather than moaning about other associations selecting players who are fully eligible for them. The FAI are operating within the rules and are simply trying to build the strongest squads possible for our various teams, as is their right.
O'Neill is guilty of hypocrisy anyway. The IFA have also attempted to recruit player's who have represented other associations (including the FAI) and O'Neill once spoke of personally trying to convince Sean Scannell to switch to the IFA in November of 2012 (four months after Scannell, who was in our senior squad in 2008, last played for our under-21s).
Thanks to Mr. Parker (IIRC, although I can't find the specific post now; maybe someone else can remember where it was?), we also know that IFA coaches have told young players who have made their ultimate ambitions expressly known to IFA personnel - that being to play for Ireland some day - to accept IFA call-ups in the meantime as this is beneficial for the IFA who will gain something of material value from such players' participation in IFA teams and may even secure a player long-term if he never makes that potential dream switch to the FAI, so let's not let the IFA paint themselves as "unwitting victims". They know the game they're in and they're happy to play it too.
As an aside, Jordan McEneff (Aaron's brother) is also mentioned in the Belfast Live piece. There was uncertainty in the "Potentially eligible players" thread a while back over whether or not he was definitely at Arsenal now, but the article appears to confirm that he is.
John Fallon's take on Michael O'Neill's latest complaints featured an additional paragraph or two mentioning Martin O'Neill: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-35522480.html
And here was Michael O'Neill being a total hypocrite just earlier this week: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-35508123.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by John Fallon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael O'Neill
Michael o Neill is so wrong in this. 2 brothers want to play for their country end of.
Agreed. Even if Aaron has switched but isn't eligible for our under-21's, maybe it's the case that he'd rather not be playing for NI under-21's and strive towards making our senior side. It's a long way off at the moment but he's got serious potential and I'm sure (European exploits ignored) the way Daryl Horgan has adapted to the Championship won't go unnoticed by him, particularly given his comparative youth.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
As an aside, Shane McEleney switched to the North some years back. Given how he's started this season and his undoubted talent, I'd be interested to confirm that Patrick didn't make the same switch. O'Neill refers to instances whereby boys from the North switch to us and don't earn a senior cap. What of Shane McEleney? How has his NI career taken off? Exactly.
Whatever about when Worthington used to spout this sort of stuff, you would think that Michael O'Neill would have a different perspective. Okay, the point in relation to young lads playing for NI and then switching to us is acceptable enough, it ignores other facts. The rest is just bitter.
Paddy has not switched and remains eligible for selection by the FAI.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
This is also confirmed in his player profile on UEFA's website. UEFA had Ireland recorded as his country whilst he was playing for Dundalk in the Europa League: http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/...ile/index.html
He looks like he'll be a key player for Dundalk this season and has started the season well. Still only 24, I can definitely see him winning senior international caps in the future.
Or what of Alex Bruce?Quote:
O'Neill refers to instances whereby boys from the North switch to us and don't earn a senior cap. What of Shane McEleney? How has his NI career taken off? Exactly.