Potentially eligible players thread

[ColourfulPeanut]

Would he not be ineligible like Johansson anyway? Unless he has an Irish passport before playing for England? Rory was born in England, so he's eligible via his grandparents place of birth.

[elatedscum]

Would he not be ineligible like Johansson anyway? Unless he has an Irish passport before playing for England? Rory was born in England, so he's eligible via his grandparents place of birth.

He's yet to play in a competitive game for England - but if he did so prior to sorting a passport, he would then be ineligible. Both himself and Louie Barry, who are England's two best players at that age group would be in that category, Barry having played U16 for us.

Hopefully Mark O'Toole has been in touch with both their families and they're aware the need for a passport before September or whenever... Like in the case of Ciaran Clark, Callum Robinson, Ryan Johansson, Dan Crowley - things change between the age of 16 and 22 and you might find yourself regretting that you closed an avenue...

[tetsujin1979]

Does that still apply if he was born after Rory got his passport? Wouldn't he be an automatic Irish citizen, as the child of an Irish citizen?

[youngirish]

Does that still apply if he was born after Rory got his passport? Wouldn't he be an automatic Irish citizen, as the child of an Irish citizen?

Your children are only automatically Irish citizens if you were born in Ireland. If you are an Irish citizen but were born outside Ireland then you must apply for Irish citizenship for the child.

[Olé Olé]

Just at U18 level - https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/irel...nia-friendlies

Kayode interviewed by the 42 and is very keen on getting into our 21s.

Leaving ego at the door has aided the progress of young Irish striker JJ Kayode https://the42.ie/5139464

[tetsujin1979]

Harvey Neville signs first professional contract with Manchester United: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCTv71bJcXl/
I doubt he'll play for Ireland though

Derry born U16 cap Lee Harkin signed a contract with Wolves: https://www.wolves.co.uk/news/academ...tracts-signed/
Hasn't played for Ireland in two years, but also hasn't been selected in the Northern Ireland underage squads

[elatedscum]

The 15s won yesterday again https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/irel...australia-u17s and had an American lad involved who it looks like noel king personally delivered https://mobile.twitter.com/oakwood_a...52241187692549

Randomly bumped into NK today. He had good things to say about this kid

[Fixer82]

Does that still apply if he was born after Rory got his passport? Wouldn't he be an automatic Irish citizen, as the child of an Irish citizen?

Rory Delap's parents are both from Ireland so the young lad would automatically qualify no?

[Diggs246]

Rory Delap's parents are both from Ireland so the young lad would automatically qualify no?

No rory or his wife needed tobe born in Ireland

[Olé Olé]

A mate and I were discussing Rice there and I mentioned how proud his father was of Declan playing for Ireland. I can't believe I didn't see these quotes last year from his aul lad: http://www.sport.net/declan-rices-da...ireland_865878

I don't mean to wake the dead but there was a discussion on this in another thread and how a perfect storm swept Rice from us. The father saying that he never thought in a 100 years his son would play for England really supports that theory.

Just goes to show how difficult this can be.

[Charlie Darwin]

No rory or his wife needed tobe born in Ireland

Or either of their parents, which Rory's were.

[elatedscum]

Or either of their parents, which Rory's were.

Liam Delap’s situation is identical to that of Johansson and Crowley, in that their parents were not born in Ireland.

Under the current FIFA interpretation, in this instance, they are entitled to citizenship from birth but they are not citizens by default. To be citizens, they need to be registered on the foreign births register (at the very least, and possibly, acquire a passport at most).

If they play a competitive underage game before going through that process, then FIFA deems them to be ineligible.

It’s a ridiculous situation. I’d be critical of the law itself. I think personally that ‘Ms Johansson’ as an irish citizen should have just as much rights as I would regarding my future children. She grew up in Ireland, she happened to be born somewhere else.

I’d also be critical of FIFA’s interpretation. It’s a bureaucratic process that makes him ineligible. The rule was a response to country’s like Qatar giving passports to young Brazilian U20s who had no connection to the country and were financially induced to make the change...

As far as I’m aware, we are fairly unique in our laws

[Charlie Darwin]

Liam Delap’s situation is identical to that of Johansson and Crowley, in that their parents were not born in Ireland.

Under the current FIFA interpretation, in this instance, they are entitled to citizenship from birth but they are not citizens by default. To be citizens, they need to be registered on the foreign births register (at the very least, and possibly, acquire a passport at most).

If they play a competitive underage game before going through that process, then FIFA deems them to be ineligible.

It’s a ridiculous situation. I’d be critical of the law itself. I think personally that ‘Ms Johansson’ as an irish citizen should have just as much rights as I would regarding my future children. She grew up in Ireland, she happened to be born somewhere else.

I’d also be critical of FIFA’s interpretation. It’s a bureaucratic process that makes him ineligible. The rule was a response to country’s like Qatar giving passports to young Brazilian U20s who had no connection to the country and were financially induced to make the change...

As far as I’m aware, we are fairly unique in our laws

Sorry, I misread you in the first instance. Yeah, this is down to a deficiency in Ireland's nationality law rather than FIFA.

[EalingGreen]

I’d also be critical of FIFA’s interpretation. It’s a bureaucratic process that makes him ineligible. The rule was a response to country’s like Qatar giving passports to young Brazilian U20s who had no connection to the country and were financially induced to make the change...

Not quite.

The Qatari/Brazilian change you refer to was FIFA clamping down on people surreptitiously acquiring bogus nationalities, for purely financial reasons (player) or team-building ones (Association).

Whereas no-one, including FIFA, is denying that the likes of Johansson is perfectly entitled (in his case) to Irish nationality, as well as Luxembourgish and Swedish nationality.

Rather I reckon the rule which RJ fell foul off to have been FIFA's response to the separate change in their rules whereby you were no longer tied to a particular country by eg having represented them in a competitive under-age international; or in a senior friendly; or after your 21st birthday etc, it is now only a full, senior competitive cap which ties you.

And since there are now thousands of footballers all over the world who have dual, even multiple nationalities, and who are switiching far more frequently, FIFA requires them to have demonstrated some sort of "affinity" to their new choice of country. Otherwise you'd have players touting themselves around to the best offer, or opting for "sloppy seconds" after their "real" country decided they didn't want/need them.

So this "Passport first, Representation second" rule is merely an attempt by FIFA to reinforce what remains of the idea of that you represent someone for genuinely patriotic reasons, rather than mercenary or expedient ones.

P.S. Re your opening sentence above, it is not an "interpretation", since the words are perfectly clear and unambiguous, reflecting as they do the outcome which FIFA desires to achieve ("Patriotic", not "Mercenary" or "Expedient")

[Fixer82]

No rory or his wife needed tobe born in Ireland

But how many players did we have over the years whose parents were born in England but grandparents were Irish?

[Diggs246]

But how many players did we have over the years whose parents were born in England but grandparents were Irish?

Loads. They applied and got their Irish passports. But they had to apply it is isnt an automatic right. But if u have one parent born here you are entitled under law to citizenship

[Fixer82]

Loads. They applied and got their Irish passports. But they had to apply it is isnt an automatic right. But if u have one parent born here you are entitled under law to citizenship

So what's the problem? Has he not applied?

[elatedscum]

P.S. Re your opening sentence above, it is not an "interpretation", since the words are perfectly clear and unambiguous, reflecting as they do the outcome which FIFA desires to achieve ("Patriotic", not "Mercenary" or "Expedient")

The rule hasn't changed since Callum Robinson or Ciaran Clark changed allegiance, merely the interpretation of it.

And since there are now thousands of footballers all over the world who have dual, even multiple nationalities, and who are switiching far more frequently, FIFA requires them to have demonstrated some sort of "affinity" to their new choice of country. Otherwise you'd have players touting themselves around to the best offer, or opting for "sloppy seconds" after their "real" country decided they didn't want/need them.

Both Crowley and Johansson were capped at 15 in a competitive underage encounter, rendering them unable to change because they weren't Irish citizens at that point (despite being entitled to said citizenship).

I wouldn't expect a 15 year old of mixed background to necessarily have fixed ideas when it comes to patriotism - and if that was the spirit of the law, I don't think the law was intended to stop players like Crowley or Johansson from changing to Ireland...

[Eirambler]

So what's the problem? Has he not applied?

Delap? He has played for England underage so if he hasn't already claimed his Irish citizenship he's ineligible for us now. Possible that he had already claimed it given who his dad is but then again he might not have bothered, given that he is with England at the moment it might not have been a priority for him.

[Olé Olé]

Guys, am I right in saying that Callum Robinson didn't qualify for us so? Unless he claimed his Irish citizenship as a teen before his England underage appearances.