Ciaran Clark D Stoke City b.1989

**paul_oshea** · 21/10/2010, 5:53 PM

Reading between the lines he is still leaving the door open for England with the "that didnt seem to be going anywhere".

I mean im pretty sure he knew that he could play for ireland before this.....all london irish born i know are aware of this because they have an Irish passport. Perhaps he didnt know he could get an Irish passport, but i dont really believe that.

**geysir** · 21/10/2010, 6:57 PM

Who knows what he knew but it appears that Dunne increased his awareness. A young CH with promise and ability, breaking into an EPL team, always has a chance of an England cap.

It's pretty clear that Clark can only change once and as Stutts has written, he has already been capped competitively for England. Once he is capped for us, even in a senior friendly, there is no going back.
That was the conundrum Maguire shied away from.

**Adrock** · 21/10/2010, 7:21 PM

Originally Posted by Kingdom

I love it when a little spark like this can lift the gloom a little.

Wilson, Duffy, Clark, St Ledger.

I'm liking that. A lot.

Or perhaps someone born or raised within our own borders even

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/10/2010, 7:43 PM

Originally Posted by Adrock

Or perhaps someone born or raised within our own borders even

Paul McShane. Feel better now?

**SkStu** · 21/10/2010, 7:48 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Paul McShane. Feel better now?

or perhaps someone who is not ginge even

**Sullivinho** · 21/10/2010, 7:51 PM

Originally Posted by Adrock

Or perhaps someone born or raised within our own borders even

Two of them were born and raised within our own island. Good enough for me.

Sean and Ciaran can gtfo though.

**Stuttgart88** · 21/10/2010, 8:13 PM

Originally Posted by Sullivinho

Sean and Ciaran can gtfo though.

All the British born in our squad have got good Irish names: Kevin, Sean, Ciaran, Kieren (nobby spelling though), Aiden, Liam, McCarthy and even Green.

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/10/2010, 8:40 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

or perhaps someone who is not ginge even

Denis Irwin? Pace of the game might be a bit much for him nowadays.

**elroy** · 21/10/2010, 8:43 PM

Originally Posted by Adrock

Or perhaps someone born or raised within our own borders even

Artificial borders. All (except for Sledge) were born Irish on this land.

Foot.ie the place to get upto date breakingnews, about a week ahead of the indo anyways.

**Gnobe** · 21/10/2010, 9:48 PM

Am I right in thinking both his parents are irish then?

My dad was born in Canada but moved back here when he was 2. Nobody calls him Canadian and he certainly doesn't think himself as one! The only other time he was there in his life was for a two week holiday when he was a student back in the 70s! Now I don't know what age Ciaran's dad came over here at, perhaps as a teenager or something?

At least what we can say is regardless of whether it's his second choice, he's clearly made his mind up quickly, no 'waiting on England' like O'Hara, so he must feel quite passionate about it.

**The Fly** · 22/10/2010, 3:04 AM

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetai...175027,00.html

Ciaran Clark has given the green light to the Republic of Ireland - after a glowing reference from Richard Dunne.

The starlet defender has informed FAI officials he is ready to play for the senior side despite already donning the Three Lions of England.

Clark was England under-20 skipper after representing his country of birth through the various schoolboy age-groups.

But the rookie defender has now committed himself to the Emerald Isle after qualifying through his Irish mother and grandparents.

This decision only comes as a result of Dunne discovering the 20-year-old's Irish roots following a chat at Bodymoor Heath - and a subsequent recommendation to national team bosses.

Clark most now wait for the decision to be rubber-stamped before being eligible for selection.

He said: "I had a word with Clarky a couple of months ago, so I'm to blame.

"I went straight onto our recruitment guy and he's been in touch. It's great. I think he has declared so once it goes through it will be great to have him in the squad.

"He's certainly going to be a top player. I think for Ireland it'll be outstanding, to have a young player of his talent in the squad.

"He's absolutely brilliant. It's just a matter of time before he breaks through and commands a position instead of someone older than Clarky playing all the time.

"That's the way it will be because as a defender it always take that little bit longer because managers tend to want that experience at the back.

"But he's got everything to come shining through as a star player.

"I think his mother's Irish so whether she's been putting pressure on or not, I don't know.

"He's open to it, he wants to play international football and it might come soon. The opportunity is there for him."

Dunne is relishing the prospect of playing alongside Clark for both club and country.

And he hopes Clark's decision will tempt other promising young players to explore their Irish connections.

Villa had a strong Irish contingent in the 1990s with Paul McGrath, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton and Tony Cascarino at the club.

He added: "It would be great to play alongside Clarky for Ireland.

"We've got a couple of young centre halves coming through and I think with Ciaran added to that it will just make the squad so much stronger.

"Sometimes you get to a point where you can't see any more players coming through for Ireland.

"So if you can get players like Clarky playing, other people in a similar situation to him might decide to follow him and play for Ireland."

**paul_oshea** · 22/10/2010, 9:00 AM

fair play to dunney, some lads just wouldn't be bothered even if they were aware, even at our own club, lads are just interested in their own game/own playing time etc, that when they played other sports with lads with irish connections they wouldn't try and actively recruit, in the end these lads figure out for themselves, but like the clarkie case some others might not be aware.

Well done richard dunne, genuinely putting his country first.

**Adrock** · 22/10/2010, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

Artificial borders. All (except for Sledge) were born Irish on this land.

Foot.ie the place to get upto date breakingnews, about a week ahead of the indo anyways.

Well Clark actually wasn't - unless we have an imperial colony in southern England.
I think we ought to recruit a welshman or two though so we can have a true United Kingdom grand slam team - then they could represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics as well which would I'm sure be a more representative team than the 11 Englishmen they are planning on putting out.
They'd have to leave the dutchman out though I expect.........

**paul_oshea** · 22/10/2010, 12:43 PM

there is a young lad coming through for wales in the u16s at the moment a great prospect by all accounts, at cardiff i think. he has to be irish:
Tom O'Sullivan

**Adrock** · 22/10/2010, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

there is a young lad coming through for wales in the u16s at the moment a great prospect by all accounts, at cardiff i think. he has to be irish:
Tom O'Sullivan

Yes his ancestors must have floated across the Irish Sea at same point. I wonder if the FAI have a deisignated Wales family tree checker or are they all employed in England? It seems insulting and direspectful to the Welsh for the FAI not to try and pinch any of their players