English (but Irish?) players

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Originally Posted by TonyD

Didn't Trevor Sinclair have some Irish connection ?

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Yes, he could have played for us. They used to call him 'Paddy' at QPR I once read in a magazine or news paper.

The Ferdinands were eligible. It's mentioned in Rio's book about an Irish grandmother.

Kevin Harper who represented Scotland was also eligible for us. As was Darren Fletcher. Paul Scholes was probably the one that really got away.

I think there may be a few American internationals that had Irish connections as well. John O'Brien (with Ajax at one point I think) may have been eligible.

Can we tie all this into one team now? Maybe team of the present would be interesting

3-5-2 .. just missing a goalie

GK

Ferdinand Ferdinand Barry

Gerard Nolan Murphy Carrick Lennon

Scholes Rooney

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Originally Posted by charliesboots

There you go so...didn't Paul Butler marry an Irish bird and as a result qualified for an Irish passport after a few years??? (or something similarly ridiculous)

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Correct, His Mrs is from Clare, he himself has no Irish connections but because of his marriage he was entitled to claim citizenship (after being married for 3 years) and thus qualifiied to play for us. Interestingly the citizenship laws have changed in Ireland so I now I believe you have to be a resident in the country in order to claim citizenship via a spouse, it changed at the end of 2002.

All of these are English born to Irish parentage. Are there any Irish born English internationals?

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Originally Posted by cavan_fan

All of these are English born to Irish parentage. Are there any Irish born English internationals?

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I remember reading that a goalkeeper in the underage ranks in England had played for us as well at some point, but I can't think of his name. Or where he was born.
I would imagine the majority (if not all) of professionals who were born here play for Ireland, although with the amount of immigration in recent years, I can see that changing.

Goalkeepers are an unusual case at the moment. It's easier to get into the Enlgand team than the Ireland team, always thought Kiely must have regretted declaring for us.

The goalkeeper is Joe Corrigan of Man City

Superb keeper, but won only 9 English caps, as he happened to be playing at the same time as both Peter Shilton (125 caps) and Ray Clemence (61 caps).

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Originally Posted by cavan_fan

It's easier to get into the Enlgand team than the Ireland team,

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I very much doubt that , by that logic Wayne Henderson would be able to get a game for England.

The only one I ever really felt a sense of 'loss' or 'missing out' over was Martin Keown given his up bringing.

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Originally Posted by dr_peepee

The only one I ever really felt a sense of 'loss' or 'missing out' over was Martin Keown given his up bringing.

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I remember reading a few times that he speaks Irish, as one of his parent's family are from a gaeltacht in Connaught!

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Originally Posted by gustavo

I very much doubt that , by that logic Wayne Henderson would be able to get a game for England.

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Unusual given injuries withdrawls etc. that Henderson is in the team, but Paul Robinson wouldnt be our No.1 and Kiely would have got a lot more caps for England than he did for us. Even Kenny would be on the fringes of the England squad.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I remember reading a few times that he speaks Irish, as one of his parent's family are from a gaeltacht in Connaught!

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http://www.okeydokefootball.com/showHate.asp?HateID=2

According to the above, Keown's parents are (may be?) from Kerry, though I remember hearing it was Fermanagh, so perhaps he's not sure himself!

As a Spurs fan, I always thought him a bastrad - and an ugly one at that. He was one of the first players I heard opposing fans sing:
"Keown's got a Monkey's Head" (to the tune of Pet Shop Boys' "Go West"), though Spurs fans were slightly more subtle.
To the tune of "Yellow Submarine", it was:
"Mar-tin Keown peels bananas with his feet, they're all he'll ever eat, he thinks it's such a treat" :)

The other story I heard about him was soon after he joined Villa. On his radio phone-in show, Danny Baker invited listeners to tell stories of meeting footballers away from the game.
One guy phoned in to say that he worked for a debt-collection company and he was sent to an address in the Midlands, to repossess a three piece suite.
When he got there, Keown was sitting in the living room, half-dressed in the middle of the day. The guy was a bit worried at how Keown might react, but he didn't seem to care, since it was "the wife's business"! :confused:

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Originally Posted by cavan_fan

Kiely would have got a lot more caps for England than he did for us..

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Do you really believe that?

His competition would have been late Seaman and David James. I think during James' reign he would have been No.1

I disagree with that.

Yes, he'd have got the odd game when James was being villified by the media - but by then Robinson was in the offing anyway.

James is a better keeper than Kiely, always has been. That's not taking anything away from Kiely, who was a fine servant to Ireland and never let us down.

I'd also vouch that James playing for Liverpool and later Villa during that era would trump Kiely of Charlton. Who you play for counts for a lot, e.g. is Kieran Richardson better than Kevin Nolan? And would the few club appearances of Wright-Phillips be normally picked over Aaran Lennon? On our front, see John O'Shea (sorry John).

Ade

Ade