Did Gallagher grow up in the US?
Judging by his Twitter profile bio, it looks like his allegiance is to Ireland anyway:
You'd have to be shocked if he paid attention to US overtures, if there were any. His entire family is Irish and I think are living in Dundalk. Also, we aren't that much better than the US that we would ignore any progress he makes and he has to resort to them for an international career. Non-issue.
He went to college there, so that's four years at least
Just looking at his Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Gallagher
It says he's moved around a lot and even played for England schoolboys between 2013 and 2014.
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
I think this was clarified previously re the England schoolboys. He was sent to boarding school in England just to progress his football and so accepting the call on the basis of where he went to school is hardly an issue: https://www.independent.ie/regionals...-36452304.html
All of his family are in Dundalk, as per the article.
Jon Gallagher has scored again, in his sides 1-1 draw this week, he didn't play last week, I think (could be wrong) he actually travelled with their first team squad but didn't feature. That's three in two games.
Here - https://www.atlutd.com/post/2018/04/...after-1-1-draw
Why are we discussing him in the thread for players that are potentially eligible?
is tonight ogbenes first league appearance for brentford?
Yes, been on the bench a few times but this was the first time he played for the first team.
After some terrible injury woes, Will Keane came on as a sub for Hull tonight and scored his first goal since December 2015. Well done to him and all the best in getting some stability in his career: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43624042
Nothing potentially eligible about him but as good a thread as any:
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/arti...d-call-beckons
Brandon O'Neill (Sydney FC) on the radar apparently.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bran...spieler/218371
Sounds like an agent flying a kite.
I agree, given that fellow A-League players Andy Keogh and Roy O'Donovan haven't been linked with a call up, even with the dearth of options up front, and that we're reasonably well stocked with central midfielders at the moment, why would he merit a call up?
18 year old Midfielder by the name of Ryan Cooney playing for Bury tonight. London born.
A successful move to a mid-table Eredivisie like PEC Zwolle would certainly put him within sight of the squad, although probably not into the first team.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/p...land-r3qsdx6n9
Paul Smyth leans towards Northern Ireland
Playing time vital for QPR winger yet to feature in competitive game for either Ireland
Martin O’Neill is an occasional visitor to the Queens Park Rangers training ground near Heathrow airport, usually to watch an under-23 match from the vantage point of the players’ canteen, but if he is going to introduce himself to Paul Smyth, then he would need to do so pretty quickly.
The 20-year-old QPR winger, name-checked frequently in the row over eligibility between the Republic of Ireland manager and his Northern Ireland counterpart, Michael O’Neill, seems sold on the idea of playing his international football in Belfast rather than Dublin. When he made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in March against South Korea in a friendly game and celebrated scoring his first international goal with a joyous somersault, it was taken as a fait accompli that Smyth was a Northern Ireland player. It is, however, not quite as simple as that.
The questions will only be answered definitively when Smyth plays in a competitive game or states clearly what his decision is. Instead, some people are trying to put words in his mouth and thoughts in his mind. A half hour spent in his company at the training ground on Thursday indicated that while Smyth was leaning heavily towards Northern Ireland he wasn’t quite there yet. For instance, what would he should the Republic of Ireland manager call and invite him into the squad?
“I don’t know,” Smyth replied. “I don’t really think about it to be fair.”
At the moment Smyth is too busy enjoying the novelty of breaking into the QPR first team having only moved from Belfast to London last summer. Becoming a pawn in the turf war between Northern Ireland and the Republic is not something he is interested in.
“It is kind of unfair to be brought in like that,” Smyth said. “I don’t like talking about it. Nowadays, if you say something wrong you are in a lot of trouble. I just like to keep myself to myself and get on with it playing football.”
Even before Smyth scored that excellent goal against South Korea, Michael O’Neill said that “I don’t have a huge fear of Paul going anywhere” and if the Northern Ireland manager is only slightly worried, then he has probably got it about right.
In Dublin, there was an assumption in some quarters that because Smyth attended Republic matches as a boy and played gaelic football for an Antrim club, Lamh Dhearg, he would come running with a click of the fingers. Not so. Ever since moving out of west Belfast as a seven-year-old into the countryside with his parents, Smyth has followed his own path. His local football club in Crumlin near Lough Neagh folded when he was about 15, so he joined Linfield, where he broke into the first team when David Healy became manager.
“As long as you play for that shirt and give 100% the fans loved you. Whether I play for Cliftonville or Crusaders or Linfield, that is what I do,” Smyth says.
Smyth made Healy enjoy coming to work to take training and the Northern Ireland legend was quickly on to his old friend in charge of the national team. At the same time, Smyth started progressing nicely through the Northern Ireland under-age teams.
“I have been playing with Northern Ireland since the under 16s and I have loved it ever since. I didn’t hear anything from the Republic. Growing up in Northern Ireland as well kind of edged me forward towards them. At the minute I am thinking of playing for Northern Ireland because of how much I have enjoyed it and how well they have looked after me. I went to the Euros with Michael O’Neill and the first team and learned a lot from the pros playing there. That has been massive for me.”
QPR have also been good for Smyth since he arrived last summer for a fee of £200,000. As the club increasingly turns towards young players after reining in spending, the manager Ian Holloway has given Smyth his chance. Whereas Healy tried to stop it, Holloway even allows Smyth to do his spectacular celebratory somersault.
“I did it on the trampoline as a kid and then I decided to try it on the pavement. I landed on my head a few times but it came off.”
Freedom has come in other ways too. He enjoys being one of the crowd when he travels to home games and elsewhere on the train. “I like staying in the shadows, because back home it was just constant. People I had never heard of would come up to me on the street and have a chat. It was great, but here I have anonymity.”
Some people are taking notice, of course, as Smyth also scored the winner on his club debut, in a 2-1 win against Cardiff on New Year’s Day. Martin O’Neill, who has been closely watching another promising young QPR player, Ryan Manning from Galway, spotted Smyth’s talent in the winger’s sixth game against Derby County back in February. However, the Republic’s manager was already well behind, as he acknowledged when he remarked that “Michael has done a lot of work with him”.
Moreover, the Republic’s manager sympathises when the younger O’Neill complains of player poaching and has pointed out on several occasions that none of the players born in Northern Ireland who now play for the Republic defected during his time as manager. For it to happen now would therefore be remarkable. Martin O’Neill said he would speak to Smyth if the player approached him, but he wasn’t expecting that to happen. Nor would he be one to ring making promises that he couldn’t keep.
“It’s wherever I am going to get playing really,” says Smyth of his international plans. “I don’t even think I am going to get into that Northern Ireland team because it is so strong. But I will keep working hard, keep my head down and whenever my chance comes I will try to take it.” Northern Ireland’s summer tour of central America will provide that. Should he continue to do well, Smyth would probably then win a competitive cap in September, after which nobody will be able to second guess any more.
Seems like a very grounded fella. Nothing up north is straight forward. I wish him all the best if he plays for the north.
It's a funny one that. If it were an English-born player that was speaking about a decision between Ireland and England then I'm sure many would be up in arms. Circumstances different here. It also sounds as though showing this lad some attention at underage would have leaned him in our direction.
After four years of relative success, the makeup of NI squads is easier to predict than it was- basically because the senior players are more likely to turn up. On the other hand a few older guys may retire when the English and Scottish league seasons end. So Smyth could replace Ward or Lafferty on the tour.
It might have dissuaded someone else. However well your scouting and recruitment work, there are only 11 guys in a football team.
thank you. I actually meant straight forward from an identity point of view but take your point on the team selection piece
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