Potentially eligible players thread

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 24/04/2015, 12:24 PM

Shock, horror.

**DannyInvincible** · 24/04/2015, 12:47 PM

He does say QPR were his family's undoubted priority, but I'm not quite sure it's fair on Gallen to say he had no sentiment for Ireland considering the following statements:

Originally Posted by Kevin Gallen

[Brian Kerr] came to watch us play and I got a letter back from his secretary saying that he wanted to meet up with me and have a chat. I was getting married in Dublin and told them what week I would be over, but nobody ever got back to me.

It was disappointing because of all the stick I’d taken from everyone, I now had an opportunity to play for Ireland and it never happened.

...

I don’t agree with calling up players who have never even been to the country. You are just giving lads a game.

My parents are Irish and my family is Irish, I think I can justifiably say that I could have played for Ireland.

My Ireland is not Dublin, it is Mayo and Donegal where my parents are from – farm life, out in the country, listening to Irish music in pubs and stuff like that.

When I hear people who have never been to Ireland in their lives, haven’t been brought up in any cultural Irish background, where your parents have left the country, but they take you back for the six week holiday and stuff like that, I do think you are stretching it a little bit too far.

Maybe that old style Ireland is going. There’s still a lot of my friends I went to school with who have Irish parents and will go back still every summer, but I do think that is changing with the next generation.

...

I’m not really the biggest fan of international football. I think the days when Jackie Charlton was in charge were exciting, but now I watched England in the last World Cup and they were disappointing, I watched Ireland in the European Championships and that was just so disappointing.

When international week comes up now I’m devastated. At the 1994 World Cup, we were all in America so we went to the Ireland v Mexico game in Orlando. Three months later I made my debut in the QPR first team.

**SkStu** · 24/04/2015, 2:22 PM

Gallen 100% wanted to play for Ireland back in the day whatever revisionism is being painted now.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 24/04/2015, 2:31 PM

I would say 33⅓%.

**Charlie Darwin** · 24/04/2015, 2:44 PM

He'd have given it 110%, no doubt. 100% 110%.

**SkStu** · 24/04/2015, 2:54 PM

Gallen only went with England because of relentless and inappropriate pressure from his club captain at the time. (every few years the Gallen story comes up

). His bros were not subjected to the same scrutiny as they weren't in the first team at the time.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 24/04/2015, 3:10 PM

I don't know about the veracity of that, and I think one of the men involved is deceased now, so I probably never will. I think players need to take a bit more responsibility themselves. Gallen is no shrinking violet. I'd say he is more than capable of making the decision for himself.

According to lore, Kilbane faced the same pressures and stood up to them.

**SkStu** · 24/04/2015, 3:14 PM

Not everyone is made with the same mental fortitude TOWK.

The story is true, you will just have to trust me on that.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 24/04/2015, 3:15 PM

I didn't know you played for QPR.

**SkStu** · 24/04/2015, 3:18 PM

I didn't know that a professional playing career was necessary in order for stories to be believed.

Journalists of the world, take note of the new standard.

**DannyInvincible** · 24/04/2015, 5:59 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

He'd have given it 110%, no doubt. 100% 110%.

'The Science Of, If Anything, Hitting The Ball Almost TOO Well': http://angleofpostandbar.blogspot.co...-ball-too.html

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 24/04/2015, 7:32 PM

Mohan defends Ireland's pursuit of English born players.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/tom-mohan-defends-irelands-granny-rule-policy-325632.html

What the hell are English journalists complaining about? When, in the last 20 years, have England ever lost a player to Ireland that they actually would have wanted?

**Charlie Darwin** · 25/04/2015, 3:37 PM

Phil Babb was probably the last actually, just over 20 years ago.

**tetsujin1979** · 25/04/2015, 4:56 PM

Is there a list of English-born players who have declared for Ireland in the last twenty years?

**Yard of Pace** · 25/04/2015, 5:28 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

When, in the last 20 years, have England ever lost a player to Ireland that they actually would have wanted?

Terry Dixon?

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 25/04/2015, 5:43 PM

Terry Dixon?

Has he retired yet?

**tetsujin1979** · 26/04/2015, 6:23 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Mohan defends Ireland's pursuit of English born players.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/tom-mohan-defends-irelands-granny-rule-policy-325632.html

What the hell are English journalists complaining about? When, in the last 20 years, have England ever lost a player to Ireland that they actually would have wanted?

Ciaran Clark, captained the England U19 side.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 26/04/2015, 8:26 PM

IDK about Clark now. I think there may have been a break of between 1-2 years between him last getting capped at U-19 by England and throwing in with Ireland. Either way, I think - while he has cemented himself as a Premier League performer - he would not have gained England recognition. A lot of Villa fans were writing him off early this season before injuries and steady performances won him back his place in the team.

I would say Babb & Clark would be top of the list though. Babb's best days were before my time so I couldn't say if he would have got capped by England.

But if Andy Sinton and Carlton Palmer could...

**Irish_Praha** · 26/04/2015, 8:37 PM

More than 20 years ago but what about John Aldridge? He would have been a least a regular squad player if not starter.
He probably would have scored more goals for them than he did for us as well.