The One That Got Away?

You wonder if you turn the question around, who's the best player to play for Ireland who on the face of it has been more likely to play for another country?

Steve Heighway and Ray Houghton are the two obvious ones. Michael Obafemi has the potential to be up there I think too. Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy I think irk the Scots (not sure on that though). James McClean and Shane Duffy have U21 caps for the North.

Have we had many players who've played underage for other countries (apart from the North) and then transferred across to us for senior level?

Ciaran Clark played for England at every level up to under 20, and captained the side.

I don't know if Heighway qualified to play for anyone else under the rules at the time. He was born in Dublin, and moved to England at a young age.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Ciaran Clark played for England at every level up to under 20, and captained the side.

I don't know if Heighway qualified to play for anyone else under the rules at the time. He was born in Dublin, and moved to England at a young age.

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I presume he had at least one English parent. I think we capped him after only a couple of Liverpool first team games so got him early. Lawrenson would definitely have got England caps.

John Aldridge would have played for England for sure

Between Houghton, McCarthy and McGeady from Scotland, Duffy, McClean and a few more from the north and Kevin Sheedy from Wales, we've taken quite a few useful players from the other celtic teams over the years.

On the other hand, while people moan about Rice and Grealish, we've never really lost an Irish born player of note to another country, I can only think of players who wouldn't have been capped for us. That will probably happen in the next few years though and it will be interesting to see the reaction when it does.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I don't know if Heighway qualified to play for anyone else under the rules at the time. He was born in Dublin, and moved to England at a young age.

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Shay Brennan played for Ireland in 65 under the parentage rule, so Heighway could have played for England ten years later.

Edit - Sheedy's a great call of course

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Originally Posted by third policeman

I presume he had at least one English parent. I think we capped him after only a couple of Liverpool first team games so got him early. Lawrenson would definitely have got England caps.

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Lawrenson was one of the best defenders in the world. He would have been a mainstay of the England defence for years. Absolutely amazing player. Feel him and to a far lesser
extent Beglin are forgotten about because they missed the good times. Both unlucky with injury.

We missed out on some players down the years though. Greaves right through to Keegan through toRooney and Kane. Gerrard Gazza and Scholes, Ferdinand or Keown. Adams could have played for us as well.

Met Alan Kennedy once when he was over for some Liverpool supporters thing as my mate is very involved with the supporters club. Not a Liverpool fan but just chatting about what a great team he played in afterwards. He talked about the Irish influence of Whelan Lawrenson and others and said him, Ray Kennedy and Sammy Lee could have played for us. Said Ronnie Whelan was the most loved player in the dressing room because he could control a game so well. Said a dirtier player than Souness though!

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Originally Posted by Bungle

Lawrenson was one of the best defenders in the world. He would have been a mainstay of the England defence for years. Absolutely amazing player. Feel him and to a far lesser
extent Beglin are forgotten about because they missed the good times. Both unlucky with injury.

We missed out on some players down the years though. Greaves right through to Keegan through toRooney and Kane. Gerrard Gazza and Scholes, Ferdinand or Keown. Adams could have played for us as well.

Met Alan Kennedy once when he was over for some Liverpool supporters thing as my mate is very involved with the supporters club. Not a Liverpool fan but just chatting about what a great team he played in afterwards. He talked about the Irish influence of Whelan Lawrenson and others and said him, Ray Kennedy and Sammy Lee could have played for us. Said Ronnie Whelan was the most loved player in the dressing room because he could control a game so well. Said a dirtier player than Souness though!

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Alan kennedy was kinda hardy himself. I was surprised Liverpool let him go to Newcastle ( i think ) coz I thought there was a few more good years left in him. Liverpool must have had a top class replacement ready in line which was the Liverpool way in those days.

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

Alan kennedy was kinda hardy himself. I was surprised Liverpool let him go to Newcastle ( i think ) coz I thought there was a few more good years left in him. Liverpool must have had a top class replacement ready in line which was the Liverpool way in those days.

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Top player he was. Lovely man.

Think he’s from that neck of the woods so might have just wanted to head home.

Ray Kennedy was an outstanding player. Think Ronnie Whelan replaced him at Liverpool but he could have been a great player for us in the 70s.

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Originally Posted by Bungle

Top player he was. Lovely man.

Think he’s from that neck of the woods so might have just wanted to head home.

Ray Kennedy was an outstanding player. Think Ronnie Whelan replaced him at Liverpool but he could have been a great player for us in the 70s.

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Ray Kennedy was a bit unusual in that he was a Striker at Arsenal and Liverpool converted him in to a very very good midfielder ~ ~ slightly unusual career progression at the age Ray kennedy was.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

Between Houghton, McCarthy and McGeady from Scotland, Duffy, McClean and a few more from the north and Kevin Sheedy from Wales, we've taken quite a few useful players from the other celtic teams over the years.

On the other hand, while people moan about Rice and Grealish, we've never really lost an Irish born player of note to another country, I can only think of players who wouldn't have been capped for us. That will probably happen in the next few years though and it will be interesting to see the reaction when it does.

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On the second point, I think the Nigerian influence on our team has been fantastic. We haven't lost a player to them and it's great. Obafemi and Ogbene are two with heavy connections - Ogbene being born there. Festy has two Nigerian parents two I think. Then you have Idah and Omobamidele and Bazunu with one and another Irish so less risk there. But it seems like players with Nigerian heritage are happy to stay with us. Exemplified too underage with more there e.g. Kayode and Armstrong and Odubeko and Adaramola etc.

We haven't lost a player to Nigeria yet I don't think and hopefully it continues.

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

On the second point, I think the Nigerian influence on our team has been fantastic. We haven't lost a player to them and it's great. Obafemi and Ogbene are two with heavy connections - Ogbene being born there. Festy has two Nigerian parents two I think. Then you have Idah and Omobamidele and Bazunu with one and another Irish so less risk there. But it seems like players with Nigerian heritage are happy to stay with us. Exemplified too underage with more there e.g. Kayode and Armstrong and Odubeko and Adaramola etc.

We haven't lost a player to Nigeria yet I don't think and hopefully it continues.

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Yes, the Nigerian influence has been a brilliant addition (due in no small part to our lax citizenship laws of the 1990s and early 2000s!). As we saw with Ogbene it's one thing to want to play for Nigeria and a whole other thing to actually play for them. In practice the numbers they have to pick from, the travel distance etc. makes it easy enough for a player who is dual qualified to go with Ireland.

Unfortunately where the issue will arise is when the first Irish born generation of mid 2000s onwards Central/Eastern European dual nationals come through. It will be much easier for them to choose their parents' country of birth over Ireland and I expect quite a few will do that.

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Originally Posted by Eirambler

Yes, the Nigerian influence has been a brilliant addition (due in no small part to our lax citizenship laws of the 1990s and early 2000s!). As we saw with Ogbene it's one thing to want to play for Nigeria and a whole other thing to actually play for them. In practice the numbers they have to pick from, the travel distance etc. makes it easy enough for a player who is dual qualified to go with Ireland.

Unfortunately where the issue will arise is when the first Irish born generation of mid 2000s onwards Central/Eastern European dual nationals come through. It will be much easier for them to choose their parents' country of birth over Ireland and I expect quite a few will do that.

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Repeal the 27th Amendment!

Steve Heighway was born in Ireland to English parents and they moved back to UK soon after. Not sure he ever felt Irish but he qualified for us. He 100% would’ve been eligible for England.

Interestingly, I’m reading McAteer’s book and his grandfather was from Co. Down. Not sure how that qualified him for us at the time in 1994

It's a good read, isn't it? Became a professional footballer almost by accident

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

It's a good read, isn't it? Became a professional footballer almost by accident

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Yeah. Very entertaining as McAteer generally is. Although some of his memories of big matches are not quite right. He should’ve used YouTube to confirm his memories

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Steve Heighway was born in Ireland to English parents and they moved back to UK soon after. Not sure he ever felt Irish but he qualified for us. He 100% would’ve been eligible for England.

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He was here until age ten apparently (linked here earlier). Way longer than I thought

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

He was here until age ten apparently (linked here earlier). Way longer than I thought

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Wow. Much longer than I thought too

His dad was working for Busáras. But he says he never really felt Irish alright, so strange in a way we got him when he was eligible for England (and was quite good)

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Steve Heighway was born in Ireland to English parents and they moved back to UK soon after. Not sure he ever felt Irish but he qualified for us. He 100% would’ve been eligible for England.

Interestingly, I’m reading McAteer’s book and his grandfather was from Co. Down. Not sure how that qualified him for us at the time in 1994

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Similar to Alan Kernaghan I guess. Don't think Down being in the north would have caused any big issue.