Played for the U21s against Sweden at the end of last yearOriginally Posted by Razors left peg
https://www.fai.ie/latest/report-ire...-2-sweden-u21/
Anyone hear Wayne Rooney on Stick to Football this week?
They were discussing Ireland and England in context of Paddy's weekend.
Rooney was saying he likes certain Irish things (music, food, drink) and I believe it was Neville asked did he qualify for Ireland.
Rooney said he did and Mick McCarthy approached him to play for us through Lee Carsley. He said that he entertained the conversation. But then he realised it was for an under 21 call up. He said that if it had been a senior call up he would probably have taken it..........
He said he got an England call up soon after and went that way.
Jaysus. We were that close to having to rationalise the incident with the granny of negotiable affections.
You can't spell failure without FAI
A different kind of granny rule...I wonder was she Irish eligible?!
Talk is cheap ~ I have my doubts that Rooney would ever have played for Ireland.
I do remember a story in the early 2000s that the north enquired about him and were laughed out of it. I don't think it's ever been confirmed that he even qualified for Ireland though.
Had a dig around on Google and found this:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/...-30087900.html
I don't think that even in Rooney's time, that England would let a prospect, that was supposed as good as that, slip through their fingers !
Last edited by seanfhear; 13/03/2025 at 4:03 PM.
He said himself it was through Lee Carsley.
As I said, he was open to listening and when it was just under 21 he said no. If it was senior, he said he would have accepted.
No idea how true this all is. Just repeating what he openly said on an ostensibly English podcast.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...663943805.html
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Rooney was asked if he could have played for another country.
“Mine would be Ireland, it would’ve been great,” he said.
“Mick (McCarthy) phoned me up because he spoke to Lee Carsley. I was close to doing it, but then they called me up for Ireland U21s, and I said I’m not playing for the 21s. I play for England U21s.
“So it never happened and then I went to play for England.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright asked Rooney would he have accepted a senior call-up, to which he replied “yes.”
I am not buying what he is selling...
Not when he came out before when the whole Grealish thing was going on saying Grealish should play for the country of his birth.
That Lee Carsley had approached him in 2001 and he said no because he's English through and through.
“I’ve never thought about playing for Ireland,” said Rooney, who will win his 104th England cap in Sunday’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland. “I was born in England, I’m English. When I was at Everton [in 2001] Lee Carsley asked me about it on behalf of Mick McCarthy but it never crossed my mind. I have Irish grandparents, so if they wanted to play for Ireland I’m sure they could have, but it was never something I thought about.
“I am English through and through and I have no issue with trying to beat Ireland. I am playing for England and I want to help England win.”
https://www.theguardian.com/football...ngland-ireland
They have to talk about something on these podcasts ~ ~ Loads of it just bull-**** ~ ~ Filling podcast time with bull-****.
Then don't listen to it
Sure if I wasn't to comment on anything that wasn't bull-sh*t there wouldn't be much to comment on !
A lot of life is just a hill of bull-sh*t, and I am as entitled as the next bull-sh*tter to contribute to it !
Dennis Cirkin has been named in the England Under 21 squad. It's just friendlies so it doesn't really mean anything, but if he plays for England at the Euros this summer he would then have to formally switch association to represent Ireland in the future (as things stand he could just turn up and play for us as an Irish born player).
Probably also worth noting that, although certain sections of the media who don't understand the eligibility rules, particularly social media, may say that playing for England Under 21s after his 21st birthday ties him to England, this is not actually the case. As he was born in Ireland and is entitled to Irish citizenship from birth he can switch to Ireland at any time up until he wins a competitive senior cap for England or another country (likely Latvia in Cirkin's case).
Cirkin is 23 in April, bit odd that he still qualifies... I understand why he does, but it's still odd
Its really not that complicated!!!
There was quite a few players aged 23 in the 2023 Under 21 Championship squads
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_U...ionship_squads
Doesnt make it less odd
Its really not that complicated!!!
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