Michael Obafemi F Plymouth Argyle (loan from Burnley) b.2000

[ontheotherhand]

I think Kenny and his club manager have been quite clear that the lad wants to play with Ireland and is trying to get a sustained run at club level. I think skepticism isn't unfounded but maybe unnecessary for now. Hopefully he's back in June and ready to go and that sounds like the plan.

Yeah I might be a little unfair on the lad above but it's hard to shake his recent history and my point was more that his history would indicate the issues have been more on his side. Kenny wouldn't exactly have a reputation for not getting on with players although Stuey Byrne may disagree with me there. If anything Kenny can be far too nice as seen during his poor stint with Rovers. He got bullied and should have been a lot more cut throat.

Obafemi does seem to have his head screwed on a bit better these days so hopefully everyone is on the same page and we see him scoring goals like the above in a green shirt soon. Parrot has apparently matured a lot in the last year. Maybe Obafemi is on the same track. We could use them both.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah I might be a little unfair on the lad above but it's hard to shake his recent history

I think it's because of the parallels with Declan Rice, for example -

Declan Rice has fully committed his future to the Republic of Ireland

Michael Obafemi ‘certain he wants to play for Ireland’

He's also probably the least Irish player ever to play for us (his own brother isn't even eligible as far as I know) and it's only natural to think he might want to play for England or Nigeria if the opportunity arose and if his career continues to gain pace.

Like it or not, that sort of talk will continue until he's tied down internationally.

[ontheotherhand]

I think it's because of the parallels with Declan Rice, for example -

Declan Rice has fully committed his future to the Republic of Ireland

Michael Obafemi ‘certain he wants to play for Ireland’

He's also probably the least Irish player ever to play for us (his own brother isn't even eligible as far as I know) and it's only natural to think he might want to play for England or Nigeria if the opportunity arose and if his career continues to gain pace.

Like it or not, that sort of talk will continue until he's tied down internationally.

I hope it's just immaturity to be honest but there's certainly no guarantee he is committed and there's warning signs there. As said above, I wonder what would have happened if Nigeria had qualified for the WC and ran out of options up front.....

Either way, throwing this one on Kenny seems unfair to me. The lad has form of all kinds!

[third policeman]

[QUOTE He's also probably the least Irish player ever to play for us (his own brother isn't even eligible as far as I know) and it's only natural to think he might want to play for England or Nigeria if the opportunity arose and if his career continues to gain pace.

Like it or not, that sort of talk will continue until he's tied down internationally.[/QUOTE]

Paul Butler? Tony Cascarino? He was born in Ireland so has a better qualification than quite a few.

[pineapple stu]

Both at least had family from Ireland, albeit not blood relations (step-father's father for Butler; adopted relation for Cas). Obafemi doesn't even have that. He was born here, so is eligible, but he moved to England when he was a few weeks old apparently (which is a lot younger than I realised actually, assuming that link is correct).

Those few weeks are the sum total of his eligibility. He really has no cultural or family ties to Ireland. Put yourself in his shoes - who would you play for in that situation?

[Diggs246]

Unless the three years since last appearing for your country only counts for senior appearances then he last played for the U21s only 16/17 months ago.

Good point
Does anyone have any clarity on this rule?

[Eirambler]

Yes, it's three years since the last appearance in a senior international - under 21 appearances don't count in respect of the three years.

So he is currently free to switch to either England or Nigeria if he wished to do so.

[CraftyToePoke]

So, what doesn't really make sense here given his links to Ireland and how brief they were if the article is correct is how he was willing to take a cap when breaking through at Southampton, who have produced more than one England international, as a teenager scoring goals. Yet now he's a division lower, well publicised disciplinary problems, and he's not accepting call ups.

Surely he'd have hedged earlier if that was in his head ?

[seanfhear]

If your heart is not in it, for playing for an international team then ya might as well call it quits. Your heart has to be in it. You are no good to your international team-mates and to be honest you are not really even being true to yourself.

[pineapple stu]

So, what doesn't really make sense here given his links to Ireland and how brief they were if the article is correct is how he was willing to take a cap when breaking through at Southampton, who have produced more than one England international, as a teenager scoring goals. Yet now he's a division lower, well publicised disciplinary problems, and he's not accepting call ups.

Surely he'd have hedged earlier if that was in his head ?

Maybe the underage was first-come-first-served and the senior cap was a way of boosting profile. Maybe he wanted to play for Ireland at the time (when he was 18) but is now having second thoughts. Maybe he does still want to play and is genuine about the physio stuff. (I've no idea obviously)

There could be an agent in the ear of all this

June will be interesting I think.

[kennedmc]

I'm Slightly confused by recent Obafemi call up:

1st version:
- called up for 21s
- Refuses call up
- kenny than calls him up for seniors
- obafemi says he needs to rest ham strings and says no thanks

2nd version
- called up for 21s
- refuses calll up
- kenny says he isn't available for selection based on fact he turned down 21s and needs to rest (so in fact no senior call up)

Or perhaps it is a different version?

[JR89]

I'm Slightly confused by recent Obafemi call up:

1st version:
- called up for 21s
- Refuses call up
- kenny than calls him up for seniors
- obafemi says he needs to rest ham strings and says no thanks

2nd version
- called up for 21s
- refuses calll up
- kenny says he isn't available for selection based on fact he turned down 21s and needs to rest (so in fact no senior call up)

Or perhaps it is a different version?

He wasn't called up to the 21s last month.

[elatedscum]

the strongest factor in his favour is the fact he was tied down originally. his cap under o'neill would have tied him to us under the rules at that time. so you'd assume if he wasn't committed, he wouldn't have tied himself down... obviously people can change over time but still it's pretty strong in his favour

[TonyD]

Both at least had family from Ireland, albeit not blood relations (step-father's father for Butler; adopted relation for Cas). Obafemi doesn't even have that. He was born here, so is eligible, but he moved to England when he was a few weeks old apparently (which is a lot younger than I realised actually, assuming that link is correct).

Those few weeks are the sum total of his eligibility. He really has no cultural or family ties to Ireland. Put yourself in his shoes - who would you play for in that situation?

Like Steve Heighway back in the 70’s. He was born in Ireland to English parents. We just happened to get to him early I think. If he’d waited he would more than likely have been capped by England.

[samhaydenjr]

Had a look at the highlights on Swansea's YouTube page and, once again, was really impressed by Obafemi - his layoffs, his runs, his finishing, were all excellent - the only concern was that he didn't seem to really open himself up pace-wise - in fact in the build-up to his second goal he was jogging into the box behind the play when you would have expected him to use his speed to charge towards the goal to meet a cross. Fortunately the ball still came to him on the edge of the area and he finished expertly. Perhaps I'm projecting this because of Kenny's explanation and because Hassenhuttl said when he got injured initially that he would have to be more careful about the runs he makes - on the other hand it may lend some credence to his decision to protect himself against injury by turning down the call-up to friendlies.

I hope he figures a way to use his pace to its full potential safely because, even now when he seems to be containing it somewhat, he's just scored eight goals in eleven Championship games and is the first of our young strikers to really put a run of goalscoring form together at that level. If he can unleash his speed fully, he could become unplayable for many defences (he's claimed he's faster than Mbappe). So the question comes up, when do we get to use him? If he's ready, I think he should be in the squad for the Nations League, possibly as an impact sub initially, with the potentila to become a starter if he keeps this form going to the end of the season and can carry it over to the international scene

[CraftyToePoke]

Had a look at the highlights on Swansea's YouTube page and, once again, was really impressed by Obafemi - his layoffs, his runs, his finishing, were all excellent - the only concern was that he didn't seem to really open himself up pace-wise - in fact in the build-up to his second goal he was jogging into the box behind the play when you would have expected him to use his speed to charge towards the goal to meet a cross. Fortunately the ball still came to him on the edge of the area and he finished expertly. Perhaps I'm projecting this because of Kenny's explanation and because Hassenhuttl said when he got injured initially that he would have to be more careful about the runs he makes - on the other hand it may lend some credence to his decision to protect himself against injury by turning down the call-up to friendlies.

I hope he figures a way to use his pace to its full potential safely because, even now when he seems to be containing it somewhat, he's just scored eight goals in eleven Championship games and is the first of our young strikers to really put a run of goalscoring form together at that level. If he can unleash his speed fully, he could become unplayable for many defences (he's claimed he's faster than Mbappe). So the question comes up, when do we get to use him? If he's ready, I think he should be in the squad for the Nations League, possibly as an impact sub initially, with the potentila to become a starter if he keeps this form going to the end of the season and can carry it over to the international scene

I wouldn't read anything into him jogging into the box other than him seeing that as more beneficial to his chances of scoring in that move. Which he did.

I watched the game v Peterborough he played in days before our last squad announcement, he chased a breakaway at full speed so far into his own half that his own right full back got in his way. I remember thinking it was fantastic workrate and incredible speed. I also remember thinking WTF a few days later to hear this was a guy minding his hamstrings.

We get to use him if and when it suits him is clear at this stage, for whatever reasons.

[pineapple stu]

Like Steve Heighway back in the 70’s. He was born in Ireland to English parents. We just happened to get to him early I think. If he’d waited he would more than likely have been capped by England.

Yeah, Heighway is the obvious comparison alright. Though even then, he spent ten years here (which is way longer than I thought he had, even if he acknowledges he never felt Ireland was home)

[Diggs246]

Curtis Davis would have been the most ridiculous one. ( he didn't declare in fairness )

"his grandmother was born in Ireland while her English father was serving here in the British army"

[pineapple stu]

Never heard of that one!

[osarusan]

That's interesting about Curtis Davis. How does his eligibility even get discovered?

Is there some FAI employee somewhere going through the family trees of anybody and everybody, even those with no apparent connection to Ireland whatsoever?