Jack Grealish

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Can't copy it for some reason.

I still think John Terry has to go to the world cup with England. still one of our best centre backs.

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This'd be the one:

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Originally Posted by Jack Grealish

I personally think jon terry HAS to go the euros with england !! Still 1 of our best centre backs easy. #leaderrr

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I believe there is no question of who he will play with if the has a choice and a guarantee.

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The FA have been in touch though, so it seems he does have that choice. He has not indicated that it's an option he'll go with though. He even dispels the fears of one lad tweeting to him by clarifying that the interview he gave earlier in the year is "not saying [he's] gonna play 4 them". Note his use of "them" when referring to England in this context.

At worst, the situation is currently ambiguous. In view of his demonstrated and continuing commitment to us, however, I don't know how you can say there's "no question" he'll jump ship if given the opportunity. If he does switch, fair enough - that's his decision - but I don't see any need to be paranoid about it. I'd like it if he stuck with us, and maybe I'm giving him the benefit of any doubt as a result, but I don't see why that should necessarily amount to denial either.

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I also don't believe that you can equally support both teams the same and/or use the we term for both.

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You're not a dual national though. He has a dual identity; it can be a complex matter. Maybe he believes differently to you and can happily reconcile the use of "we" with both ourselves and England. I don't know; I'm not Jack Grealish, nor am I a dual national.

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Originally Posted by Dunners

Lads didn't want mention it but he has removed every picture of himself in an Irish shirt from his twitter account. I noticed it last week. Coincidence ?

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No, he hasn't. There are plenty of self-tweeted photos of him in action for us from March and last November, around when he represented our under-21s.

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Originally Posted by Jack Grealish

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bi8-_p_IcAER-7I.jpg
Happy St.Patricks day everyone!! Hope u all had a great day n also have a great night!! 🍀😃

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Believe it or not, he even refers to us as "us" in one of the tweets!

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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZItqcbIIAAi1Vl.jpg
Great win for us tonight and happy to of scored my 1st goal for the 21s on my 1st start☺👍

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I play ball with a guy who was born in Ireland to an Irish dad and English mum. His family moved to England when he was 2. He wears an Irish jersey to training. He says he's 51% Irish, 49% English and he shouts for Ireland and England and hopes that Ireland wins when playing against England only because his bro, born in England, shouts for the English team.

Long story short, it's not cut and dried.

He's actually brilliant and I reckon he'd declare if the FAI made an approach. he's like a less lazy Berbatov. I'll ask him to send an email to FAI headquarters.

Is he playing professionally? Where's he based at the minute? Canada? Does Robbie's heir have a name?

No. He's currently play in the Regina Mens Division 4. He's 28. Prospect. I'll send an email about him tomorrow.

But if he had a poster of a Chelsea player on his wall when he was growing up, then tell him not to bother, we don't like that sort of chap.
His blood has been tampered with beyond repair:rolleyes:

there's this one too from March, just before heading off to play for the U21s - https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1/st...26074863075328

Ah, in fairness, he normally seems to put out a tweet about joining up for Ireland squads and games etc. I think people are just pointing to the fact he does support England and, given his level of ability and likely career trajectory, the natural step would be to play for their senior national side. I'm not saying he supports/prefers (tricky one) England over Ireland or anything like that, just as people are stating it's not very clear cut.

Anyways, it's pretty inconceivable he'd ever play for England now. He's played from under-15's to under-21's with us. If he was so intent on representing England, he'd have done so a long time ago because I'm sure he's inundated with conversation on the topic from English Villa under-age players and coaches.

It's like James McCarthy, as has been stated many times. Until we see him in a competitive international game for Ireland we don't feel guaranteed of his commitment, even though he has been well committed with a few years now. Furthermore, his responses in interviews have sometimes been ambiguous and we've drawn conclusions from same- rightly or wrongly. It's not a completely irrational paranoia.

Hasn't Jack said that he is playing for Ireland U-21 because they are playing at a higher level than England U-19 or something to that effect?

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Hasn't Jack said that he is playing for Ireland U-21 because they are playing at a higher level than England U-19 or something to that effect?

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Not quite, as you well know. We had detailed discussion from page 15 of this thread onward about the quotes to which you're alluding. I'm surprised you can't remember. Here are his comments again, just to relieve your mysterious (feigned?) memory loss: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc....woTKV9QT.dpuf

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Originally Posted by John Fallon

"If I'm enjoying it with Ireland and I won't be pressured into playing for England," says Grealish. "The English FA met dad and I before this campaign started and told me where I'd be playing for them (their under 19s). We had already spoken to Noel (King) by that stage and thought, as I'd be with the under 21s, Ireland was the best place for me.

"It's hard to say what's going to happen because I'm only 18, aren't I? For the next couple of years, I want to play for Ireland. That's not saying I'm going to go back to England – just that you never know what's going to happen."

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Even if England had offered him a place in their under-21 squad, there's no indication he would have accepted it. The FA merely approached himself and his father before being turned away. Grealish said the following in a later tweet:

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Originally Posted by Jack Grealish

im playing for Ireland mate. That interview is saying that England are coming in for me not saying i'm gonna play 4 them

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That article is very much present tense and the last tweet.

The lad is yyoung a bit of patriotism around now and a good run and I'd like to see how less "clear" he would be.....

The simple fact is that none of us knows, neither those of us in the "he's entitled to do what he wants but right now it looks like he's playing for Ireland" camp or those who'd prefer there was something more sinister stirring because all ambiguity is by definition negative at best, treacherous at worst.

Speaking of ambiguity, wtf is Paul saying?

It's tough to decipher Paul O'Shea at the best of times, but I believe what he's saying right now (no comment on the comical ally gibberish he came out with earlier) is that Jack is clearly a dual-national with loyalties to his countries of birth and ancestry, and the worry is that a good World Cup for England a dose of patriotism might convince him to want to emulate those players in representing England at a World Cup.

Ah, ok, I think I get it now.

I think my little fella wants to follow England in the WC because Ireland aren't playing. I told him it's ok.

I am pretty positive Jack said that England wanted to call him up to their U-19 team but he was happy playing with the Ireland U-21 because it was a higher level of football. If he makes a point of saying something like that, then there must be something in it.

Any way. If there was nothing to worry about, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I think he wants to play for Brazil, going on his latest tweet: https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1/st...93558795751426

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Ah, ok, I think I get it now.

I think my little fella wants to follow England in the WC because Ireland aren't playing. I told him it's ok.

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That's kind of the thing though, isn't it? I assume your lads feel very Irish, but growing up in England with English friends, they probably feel part of that too. I think sometimes people expect all English-born Irishmen to be like Kilbane or somebody and have eyes only ever for Ireland.

That's exactly what I expect him to be like!

Aye, but you don't know how he'll turn out in the end :p

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

I am pretty positive Jack said that England wanted to call him up to their U-19 team but he was happy playing with the Ireland U-21 because it was a higher level of football. If he makes a point of saying something like that, then there must be something in it.

Any way. If there was nothing to worry about, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

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I quoted exactly what he said and what he said after above. Make of it what you will.