Potentially eligible players thread

[elatedscum]

isn't the issue that at the time he played for England he must also have had Irish nationality? That nationality is conferred by birthright if born to an Irish parent born in Ireland, but not if born to an Irish parent born outside of Ireland, and hence needs to achieve nationality via Irish grandparents? So it matters whether it's his parents or grandparents, or where his parents were born.

I was born in UK, to Irish-born Irish citizens. I have only ever held an Irish passport. Yet my UK-born kids needed to be "Foreign Birth Register"ed to get their Irish passports, and to get them on the FBR I needed my parents' birth certs & marriage certs. Horrible process.

I got my kids on the FBR about a month after Brexit! And with the FBR certification I applied for their passports which arrived within about 2 weeks.

If one of them had played for England at any age level before they were on the FBR they'd no longer be Irish eligible. In think we may have capped players who technically didn't qualify because of not being FBRed, but nobody noticed until the Ryan Johansson case.

Is that right? I haven't been paying full attention.

It's almost right. Not really any age level. Just competitive games. Those being qualifiers or tournaments for Euro U17, U19, U21. I'd also be pretty sure the FIFA U17 and U20 world cup. So for example a player could play an U16 game or could play in the Toulon tournament or an u21 friendly or something similar and that wouldn't be considered as a competitive appearance for a nation. They could then add themselves to the FBR and declare for Ireland. That looks like the case with O'Hare as his only England youth cap was in a friendly tournament, so he is in FIFAs eyes an uncapped player.

To date, as far as I'm aware, Delap and Barry have similarly only played friendly matches for England, mostly due to timing. As far as I remember, England got a by into the elite stage of the u17s which meant they played friendlies between september and november and could only make their debuts in March and with covid those games were cancelled. They are now U18s for next season, so they won't be in a competitive age group but it's very possible they'll be fast-tracked to U19 level considering they're the two best U18s in that age group...

[Olé Olé]

It really is a case of the 'winner' writes history.
In the first Charlton campaign all the way through to the finals, we had one of the best full-backs, one of the best centre-backs, two of the best central midfielders, one of the best left and right-wingers and one of the best strikers in England, in our side. It would not be an exaggeration to say that McGrath, Hughton, Moran, Whelan, McGrath, Lawrenson, Sheedy, Houghton and Aldridge were in the top 5 of their position in England at the time. And yet we played a style that was to the strength of none of them, yet we'd our greatest success ever as an International team.

It's baffling.

Paul McGrath so good he made the top 5 twice!

[Eirambler]

It's almost right. Not really any age level. Just competitive games. Those being qualifiers or tournaments for Euro U17, U19, U21. I'd also be pretty sure the FIFA U17 and U20 world cup. So for example a player could play an U16 game or could play in the Toulon tournament or an u21 friendly or something similar and that wouldn't be considered as a competitive appearance for a nation. They could then add themselves to the FBR and declare for Ireland. That looks like the case with O'Hare as his only England youth cap was in a friendly tournament, so he is in FIFAs eyes an uncapped player.

To date, as far as I'm aware, Delap and Barry have similarly only played friendly matches for England, mostly due to timing. As far as I remember, England got a by into the elite stage of the u17s which meant they played friendlies between september and november and could only make their debuts in March and with covid those games were cancelled. They are now U18s for next season, so they won't be in a competitive age group but it's very possible they'll be fast-tracked to U19 level considering they're the two best U18s in that age group...

I suppose it's unlikely, but I wonder if there could be someone at the FAI who could say to the players or their agent/family - look, by all means play away for England now if that's what you want to do, but just get yourselves on the FBR in the mean time, just in case things change down the road.

The problem anyway is that it takes about a year to get on the FBR because of a surge in applications due to Brexit, so even if they applied now they probably wouldn't be added in time, unless they could be fast tracked somehow.

[tetsujin1979]

It's almost right. Not really any age level. Just competitive games. Those being qualifiers or tournaments for Euro U17, U19, U21. I'd also be pretty sure the FIFA U17 and U20 world cup. So for example a player could play an U16 game or could play in the Toulon tournament or an u21 friendly or something similar and that wouldn't be considered as a competitive appearance for a nation. They could then add themselves to the FBR and declare for Ireland. That looks like the case with O'Hare as his only England youth cap was in a friendly tournament, so he is in FIFAs eyes an uncapped player.

To date, as far as I'm aware, Delap and Barry have similarly only played friendly matches for England, mostly due to timing. As far as I remember, England got a by into the elite stage of the u17s which meant they played friendlies between september and november and could only make their debuts in March and with covid those games were cancelled. They are now U18s for next season, so they won't be in a competitive age group but it's very possible they'll be fast-tracked to U19 level considering they're the two best U18s in that age group...

I looked up the squad for the tournament they played in Spain in February - http://www.thefa.com/news/2020/jan/3...d-announcement - and there's another member of that age group that's eligible for Ireland - Fionn Mooney of Crystal Palace - https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2020/feb...der-17s-squad/

[ColourfulPeanut]

Can work in our favour too though. Got the feeling that Mipo Odubeko might have his eye on England under residency but he's ineligble for them forever now.

[liamoo11]

Can work in our favour too though. Got the feeling that Mipo Odubeko might have his eye on England under residency but he's ineligble for them forever now.

I dont think he has played a competitive game at under 17s or 19s for us same with sotona at man utd

[Olé Olé]

Ogbene's recent decision means we have yet to lose a player of Nigerian descent to Nigeria. We have some fabulous talent coming through with lads that have expressed a desire to play for us or seem to just love playing for us. There are lads with just one Nigerian parent that are not really concerns (Idah and Omobamidele) and lads with two Nigerian parents that have committed or stated their commitment to Ireland (Ogbene, Shodipo, Obafemi, Afolabi and Kayode). Okoflex looks like he has eventually landed on our side but that may change.

Kayode hasn't featured since under 18 so I think I was one of a few who was wondering where his preference lay. Turns out, per a recent interview, that he's mad to get into the 21's squad.

Hopefully we start to see Odubeko and Sotona in the frame soon.

[Olé Olé]

Cj Hamilton has signed for Blackpool from Mansfield. 25 year old winger. This transfer was referenced on YBIG but nothing about how he qualifies. Wiki has him being born in England. All a Google search through up was a comment on a 42 article saying he spent all his childhood in Waterford. I couldn't find anything online so I took my research to social media. He has a huge amount of Waterford friends on Facebook so that does stack up as regards a connection.

Only at League One for now but we have seen some lads (wingers in many cases) reach the fringes or reach our squad from that level recently (Sadlier, Harness, Curtis).

[ColourfulPeanut]

I dont think he has played a competitive game at under 17s or 19s for us same with sotona at man utd

Didn't realise that he didn't make it to the Euros squad, seems like he played in the warm up games and then was left out. I wonder why?

He seems like a major flight risk. I remember somebody pointing out he deleted all pictures of him in an Ireland jersey from social media and he follows the FA but not the FAI.

[Diggs246]

Yep, we really cant have a guy like this anywhere near our team

The man was born and raised in Ireland , with two Nigerian parents

If he picks any other country then Ireland or Nigeria he is a walking disgrace.

[ColourfulPeanut]

Yep, we really cant have a guy like this anywhere near our team

The man was born and raised in Ireland , with two Nigerian parents

If he picks any other country then Ireland or Nigeria he is a walking disgrace.

Lets give him the benefit of the doubt, just suspicions for now. I wouldn't even be certain of his eligibility for England.

We have Armstrong Okoflex involved at u19s now and he went the route I described. Born and raised in Dublin to Nigerian parents, moved to England when he signed for Arsenal and was representing them up until this year despite having no England links at all. So it's not unprecedented and I assume the FA put a lot of pressure on them and promise them the world if they're decent players.

[geysir]

Actually Wikipedia is right for once, it was through a great grandparent that he qualified. His great grandmother was born in Athlone but moved to England at a young age.

At the time he was considered to be eligible under the great-grandparent rule, which was changed by FIFA in 1986, the year of his Ireland debut, to what we now know as the granny rule.

So he just got in in time. If he had declared for Ireland even a year later he would not have been eligible.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/fai...-26108028.html

In Aldo's time there was nothing in the FIFA statutes about a great-grandparent rule.
If a player was eligible for citizenship, he was eligible to play for that country, he didn't actually need to have obtained the citizenship.
Aldo was eligible to play for us in 1986 because he was eligible for Irish citizenship, on the basis of a Dept of Foreign Affairs right to give him special dispensation for having a great grandparent.

After Qatar dished out citizenship to Brazilians willy nilly, FIFA altered the regulations in 2003, that the player was now required to satisfy residence or have parent/grandparent connection.

[Stuttgart88]

It really is a case of the 'winner' writes history.
In the first Charlton campaign all the way through to the finals, we had one of the best full-backs, one of the best centre-backs, two of the best central midfielders, one of the best left and right-wingers and one of the best strikers in England, in our side. It would not be an exaggeration to say that McGrath, Hughton, Moran, Whelan, McGrath, Lawrenson, Sheedy, Houghton and Aldridge were in the top 5 of their position in England at the time. And yet we played a style that was to the strength of none of them, yet we'd our greatest success ever as an International team.

It's baffling.

There could have been a summer of wild exuberance and an open top bus celebration after our heroic semi final exit to West Germany in 1982 if hadn't been for a bent Portuguese referee in Brussels 1981 / if Gerets hadn't dived / if Ceulemann's free had hit the bar an inch higher and gone over instead of up in the air and back into the 6 yard box. Them's the breaks I suppose.

Starting XI in Brussels was McDonagh, Langan, Moran, Martin, Hughton, Heighway, Daly, Brady, Grealish, Robinson, Stapleton.

Lawrenson and O'Leary were injured. Both would have started I'm sure. We beat France & Holland at home in the same campaign. Drew with Belgium at home, from 1-0 down. Drew 2-2 in Holland. Beat Cyprus twice.

[greendeiseboy]

Looks like he was brought up out Kilmacthomas/Clonea way but may be English born, it appears his mother may be from there or may have close family there, she is living here and his sister is also living here. From a Facebook stalk it would appear his sister is friend's with a mate of mine. I could do a check to see does she know anything about where his allegiances are.

[elatedscum]

Yep, we really cant have a guy like this anywhere near our team

The man was born and raised in Ireland , with two Nigerian parents

If he picks any other country then Ireland or Nigeria he is a walking disgrace.

Speaking to a mutual friend of his and mine about a year ago, the friend of his said he reckoned he’d play for Nigeria. Wasn’t gospel by any means and maybe there was a touch of winding me up, but if there’s any pressure or desire for change, it probably swings in that direction rather than towards England.

[tetsujin1979]

Jay McGrath, son of U21 cap John McGrath, signed for Coventry last week from non league Mickelover - https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2020/jul...ins-sky-blues/
Not sure if he's ever played internationally at any level

[CraftyToePoke]

Jay McGrath, son of U21 cap John McGrath, signed for Coventry last week from non league Mickelover - https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2020/jul...ins-sky-blues/
Not sure if he's ever played internationally at any level

Irish flag next to his name on Flashscore anyway.

[tetsujin1979]

Irish flag next to his name on Flashscore anyway.

true, but they have a tricolour next to Notts County's Jim O'Brien as well, and he declared for Scotland ten years ago!

[Fixer82]

John McGrath who played for Villa?

[tetsujin1979]

John McGrath who played for Villa?

the very same