Potentially eligible players thread

[SkStu]

The only condition I'd put on any of the names mentioned is that, presuming they qualify and are as good or better than our current crop, they need to want to play for us. "Feeling Irish" is secondary. We shouldn't be begging anyone.

[CraftyToePoke]

Anyone know if Ravel Morrisson qualifies ? I suppose if he did it would be mentioned in the last few days, most likely, but I thought I read once that he did.

Albrighton at Villa also does I believe. And I'm unsure if it was ever fully clarified if McGugan, now of Watford and having a fine season does.

I suppose its a matter of how comfortable one is with a number of lads who's international career with our neighbours has seemingly stalled, and up to our new management team to assess if it is only that stall which motivates them to look our way. If indeed they are even looking our way.

Davies is one that wouldn't really sit comfortably with me, a conversion at 28 is a bit cynical, but he hasn't spoken at all on it yet to my knowledge.

[Stuttgart88]

None of them passes the Stuttgart gut test. I'd much prefer to nurture and take a chance on the guys like Duffy if we're looking for long term options.

The only ones I'd be happy with would be Bamford and Will Keane.

[DannyInvincible]

And I'm unsure if it was ever fully clarified if McGugan, now of Watford and having a fine season does.

There was a thread on McGugan here where the opening poster claimed his father was Irish: http://foot.ie/threads/74152-Lewis-McGugan

I suppose its a matter of how comfortable one is with a number of lads who's international career with our neighbours has seemingly stalled, and up to our new management team to assess if it is only that stall which motivates them to look our way.

Have the new management team specified any conditions to the potential selection of eligible players? They may well be happy to select anyone willing and good enough to play for us, irrespective of their reasoning or the primary root of their motivation.

[DannyInvincible]

O'Neill on Wickham: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...d-striker.html

Wickham, who qualifies for the Republic through his Northern Irish father Stefan, an Army warrant officer, has scored six goals for England Under 21s in 17 appearances.

He played under O’Neill at Sunderland last season although struggled, after an £8million move from Ipswich Town and a serious knee injury, to make an impact under his reign.

O’Neill said: `I worked with Connor at Sunderland. Steve Bruce bought him but I thought the price tag concerned him and for a little while I thought being a professional footballer was enough for Connor and at that stage that he liked the lifestyle which was all very new to him.

`But you have to knuckle down and actually have to go and do something. In my latter days at Sunderland it looked as if he was going to come round and wanted to become a professional player.

`He is out on loan at this minute at Sheffield Wednesday and Connor would be the first to say that to go and play in the Premier League week in, week out is still a big task.

'But those little spells on loan, particularly this one where he is doing all right and scored a few goals, will help him.

`I don’t think I am in a position at this minute to turn down anything and if someone tells me someone is available, particularly someone I have worked with and might have a chance, I would give it some consideration.’

[tetsujin1979]

sort of related, Scotland want Steven Caulker to declare for them, even though he's played and scored for the England senior team in a friendly: http://www1.skysports.com/news/12040/9022949/

[DeLorean]

Naughton is a right back and not in the league of Coleman but maybe could do a job at left full?

Callum McManaman: Same story as Kane for me

Most of the Spurs fans absolutely hate Naughton being played at left back, which he is every so often. At full strength Vertonghen is moved there though, albeit slightly against his will.

McManaman looked a really good player towards the tail end of last season and his Cup final performance was immense.

[DannyInvincible]

What ever became of Jamie O'Hara anyway?...

[back of the net]

What ever became of Jamie O'Hara anyway?...

I think ......Kenny jackett dropped him from the Wolves League 1 squad as kenny wanted players who were focused on giving it their all in league 1 and getting the club promoted , and he was put on a transfer list..
Now that was about 2mths ago i saw that - so his status may have changed

[geysir]

Sorry, I just made the assumption that whatever paperwork was involved was part of the clearance process!

There's no need to apologise for that. Your assumption was correct.
McAlinden playing for us, has been held up by the bureaucracy involved with the clearance process.

[ArdeeBhoy]

What ever became of Jamie O'Hara anyway?...

On massive wages, so they can't get rid. Despised by Wolves fans...

[The Fly]

None of them passes the Stuttgart gut test. I'd much prefer to nurture and take a chance on the guys like Duffy if we're looking for long term options.

The only ones I'd be happy with would be Bamford and Will Keane.

Agreed. Hopefully Will can persuade his twin to return as well. There's something just not quite right about a Keane playing for England.

Will is the more highly rated of the pair and from what I understand plays in a style similar to Teddy Sheringham.

[CraftyToePoke]

There was a thread on McGugan here where the opening poster claimed his father was Irish: http://foot.ie/threads/74152-Lewis-McGugan

Yeah, Livehead, was a Nottingham lad and played at semi pro level himself in these parts. He was right about Leon Best IIRC, who like McGugan is also from Nottingham. He hasn't been on here in ages though.

[paul_oshea]

Ya livehead went off and (probably)became a lawyer and forgot all about us. For those of you who dont remember, which is probably all of you, he mentioned it on here once.

He played Gaelic as well up there too and mentioned another young buck a couple of years behind him too who could play, I don't remember if that was McGugan though.

[DannyInvincible]

Agreed. Hopefully Will can persuade his twin to return as well.

Is Michael definitely still eligible for us? He's represented England competitively. Were the games in which he played for us competitive fixtures too?

[Stuttgart88]

As far as I know only Will is still eligible

[tetsujin1979]

Is Michael definitely still eligible for us? He's represented England competitively. Were the games in which he played for us competitive fixtures too?

Definitely played competitively for the U17's: http://www.fai.ie/international/yout...eland-u17.html
Played in a friendly for the U19's in August 2011: http://www.fai.ie/international/unde...on-opener.html
and then rejected a call up for the subsequent qualifiers in September 2011: http://greenscene.me/2011/09/michael...and-u19-squad/

[DannyInvincible]

In that case, Michael has already effected the one switch available to him and is no longer eligible to play for us.

[DannyInvincible]

'Connor Wickham not interested in playing for the Republic of Ireland': http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-...land_1_2993583

Former Ipswich Town striker Connor Wickham has no interest in switching his international allegiances to the Republic of Ireland, the EADT and Ipswich Star understands.

New Ireland boss Martin O’Neill yesterday said that he would consider asking Wickham to play for him on the international stage. O’Neill was Wickham’s manager at Sunderland, while his assistant Roy Keane was his manager at Ipswich.

Wickham is eligible to play for the Emerald Isle due to the fact that his well-travelled army officer father, Stefan, was born in Ulster, Northern Ireland.

The 20-year-old has scored six goals in 17 appearances for the England Under-21s, was born in Hereford, grew up in Reading and then joined Ipswich Town’s academy when his father was based at Colchester.

And a source close to the striker says his ambition very much remains becoming a full Three Lions international.

That goal seems a long way off at present following his failure to really establish himself at Sunderland. He has made just nine league starts for the Wearside club since an £8.1m switch from Ipswich in 2011 and is currently on loan at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.

“I worked with Connor at Sunderland,” said O’Neill. “Steve Bruce bought him but I thought the price tag concerned him and for a little while I thought being a professional footballer was enough for Connor and at that stage that he liked the lifestyle which was all very new to him.

“But you have to knuckle down and actually have to go and do something. In my latter days at Sunderland it looked as if he was going to come round and wanted to become a professional player.

“He is out on loan at this minute at Sheffield Wednesday and Connor would be the first to say that to go and play in the Premier League week in, week out is still a big task.

“But those little spells on loan, particularly this one where he is doing all right and scored a few goals, will help him.

“I don’t think I am in a position at this minute to turn down anything and if someone tells me someone is available, particularly someone I have worked with and might have a chance, I would give it some consideration.”

[ArdeeBhoy]

Another one you wonder would be any better than what we have, though Wickham is a Wexford name apparently?
And since when was Ulster in the North? Surely the other way round...