Jack Grealish

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2014, 4:40 PM

Stutts is correct. Once he accepted a call-up to England U21, he'd have used his one change of allegiance and he'd no longer be eligible for Ireland.

**tetsujin1979** · 21/08/2014, 4:53 PM

ok, I thought the rule applied per age group, i.e. once you've played competitively for one U21 side, you can only play for that one U21 team, and not per age group per tournament, e.g. play for Sweden U21s in their qualifiers for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and then France (say) for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

If that is true, then the next available date for Grealish for England U21 will be their first qualifiers for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 12 months, correct?

Unless, of course, he gets called into the England senior squad

**tricky_colour** · 21/08/2014, 5:46 PM

It doesn't look to good from Ireland's point of view.

"If I'm enjoying it with Ireland and I won't be pressured into playing for England.... For the next couple of years, I want to play for Ireland."

Not the initial *if* which is combined with and *and*. so two conditions have to be met, the second condition is rather cryptic
"and I won't be pressurised into playing for England" I am rather unclear what that means. If you drop the initial 'if' it make sense. ie
"I'm enjoying it with Ireland and I won't be pressured into playing for England."
Makes sense, but even then it is followed by "For the next couple of years, I want to play for Ireland."
that seems to apply that outside of the new two years he does not want to play for Ireland.

I suspect what he wants to know is if he is good enough for England, if he isn't the decision is
straight froward, he will play for Ireland, after all international status looks good on your CV,
far better than an implied "not good enough for England".

So in a nut shell if you want him to play for Ireland you should be hoping for some poor performance from him in
the up coming games!!!

I might be misreading it a bit but he it looks like he is trying to break the bad news gently.

"It is understood Grealish has asked for space to consider his international future"

Where have we hear that kind of think before?

"It is understood Stephen Ireland has asked for space to consider his international future"

Still at least he didn't say he was attending his aunties funeral

**tricky_colour** · 21/08/2014, 5:53 PM

So who are his rivals for a place in the England team,
anyway I expect this is gonna be a long long thread.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 21/08/2014, 6:01 PM

It's not you, it's me.

**SwanVsDalton** · 21/08/2014, 6:36 PM

It'll be interesting to see if he keeps his place in the squad this weekend. Joe Cole and Carlos Sanchez are fit and eligible for the Newcastle game.

**back of the net** · 21/08/2014, 7:49 PM

Grealish interview a few mths back - personally i think he will stick with ireland

"Long-term, the aim is to do well with Ireland and Villa. It was very flattering to hear Martin O'Neill speak about me recently and that's a sign that I am doing something right. It was good to hear he knows who I am, Martin was first-team manager at Villa when I was on the books there, but there's no way he would have known who I was.

"I was a season ticket holder when I was four and then I joined Villa when I was six and have been there all along," he added.

"I would love to play for the senior team and with all the games they have lined up for the summer it could happen, but for now I am just enjoying every game and every cap with the U21s."

**Stuttgart88** · 21/08/2014, 8:02 PM

It's certainly way too early for a lap of honour.

Jack Grealish might play for England.
Shane Long might score a goal against Germany or another big team. Robbie Keane might not.
Robbie Keane may retire when surplus to requirements aged 31, sorry, 35.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 21/08/2014, 8:12 PM

Jack is a charming, personable young lad; very good at speaking to media. He's pretty good at working everyone.

So to recap: He's with Ireland at the moment. Would be glad to accept call up. Call up happens. He doesn't take it.

I really keep trying to justify what's going on but I can't help feeling it's all very cynical. He's playing for our U-21 team yet he won't accept a call up to the senior team because he doesn't want to tie himself down.

Excuse me for thinking it pretty disingenuous - and getting the impression that he is taking his time to see how his club career pans out and letting that dictate his international career.

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2014, 8:15 PM

Or maybe, like Kevin Gallen, there are people around him who realise what a talent he is and realise what having an England international would mean to a club like Aston Villa who won't be boasting too many of them in the near future and are pressurising him to not make any commitment to Ireland. You can call it cynical but some people would call it diplomatic, or just being in two minds.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 21/08/2014, 8:19 PM

He only has less than a year left on his contract! His long-term future isn't even at the club yet.

I think Villa's main concern is getting him to sign a new contract, not that there are any signs that they are pulling their finger out to do that; let alone pressuring him into playing for England.

**back of the net** · 21/08/2014, 8:23 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Jack is a charming, personable young lad; very good at speaking to media. He's pretty good at working everyone.

So to recap: He's with Ireland at the moment. Would be glad to accept call up. Call up happens. He doesn't take it.

I really keep trying to justify what's going on but I can't help feeling it's all very cynical. He's playing for our U-21 team yet he won't accept a call up to the senior team because he doesn't want to tie himself down.

Excuse me for thinking it pretty disingenuous - and getting the impression that he is taking his time to see how his club career pans out and letting that dictate his international career.

I couldnt blame anyone for been somewhat cynical TOWK

But IMO i do believe he has his heart set on playing for Ireland but he has alot of ppl in the game and very possibly (as charlie said) his club in his ear about playing for England

It makes me think of the Kevin Kilbane Sam allardyce situation in preston reserves all those years ago.

For worth its worth , if Jack ends up showing 10% of the commitment to Ireland as Killer did , then he will continue to wear the green

Watch this space i guess!

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2014, 8:24 PM

Well neither of us have any idea what they're doing with regard to his contract but it's reasonable to assume they see him there for the foreseeable future. I think it's fair to consider alternative narratives to the "he's just waiting to see if he's any good before committing" line.

**Stuttgart88** · 21/08/2014, 8:28 PM

That's probably it TOWK, but it's not some kind of act of treason or duplicity. He's English born and bred with Irish grandparents and a strong sense of his Irish roots. He's 18 and has barely kicked a ball in anger in his professional career. He's entitled to take his time, especially when a call up from the FAI would itself have more than a whiff of cynicism about it.

Football is a tough world and a very murky business populated by spivs and charlatans in every corner. My advice to an 18 year old would be not to rush into anything.

**Charlie Darwin** · 21/08/2014, 8:40 PM

I see a lot of myself in you, Stutts.

**Olé Olé** · 21/08/2014, 8:55 PM

Also, where in O'Neill's quotes does it state Jack refused a call-up? O'Neill doesn't state that he called Jack up, just that there was a conversation. A "decent conversation."

With young players it can be understandable that they, or those around them, don't want the added pressure of senior international football when the motives behind it may be to get them capped. Draw a parallel with Ryan McLaughlin who asked not to be considered. He's back playing with them.

I'd place a bit of trust in one of Ireland's greatest players and one of the finest diplomats to ever straddle the line between two football associations (as opposed to countries) to get this one as right as anyone.

I'd call it cynical to infer cynicism on Jack's part. For now.