Michael Obafemi F Burnley b.2000

[seanfhear]

That's interesting about Curtis Davis. How does his eligibility even get discovered?

Is there some FAI employee somewhere going through the family trees of anybody and everybody, even those with no apparent connection to Ireland whatsoever?

A while back there was the odd player that used to really want to play international football to raise their profile ~ Maybe Wages / Possible Transfers / Other ~ I am not sure that this is such a thing now with the wages of fairly average players ( by top international standard ) being so good and many of the clubs not actually being all that keen on their players playing international football.

Remember Vinny Jones back in the day desperately searching for an Irish qualification but having to settle for a Welsh one ( poor fella , wink )

[Olé Olé]

He has played for Ireland when he thought he would be tied. His manager at club and country say he wants to play for us. He was born in Ireland to Nigerian parents and raised in England. Yet wants to play for Ireland, taking the comments of his managers at face value. Apparently he still has family in Dublin. Aside from a few years abroad as a child, I don't have any part of my make up that isn't Irish. It is very straight forward for me in terms of identity. I think there are a few posters here who are ignoring the possibility that Obafemi might not feel entirely Nigerian or English and was born in Ireland and has family here so it might feel natural for him to play for Ireland.

[pineapple stu]

I think there are a few posters here who are ignoring the possibility that Obafemi might not feel entirely Nigerian or English and was born in Ireland and has family here so it might feel natural for him to play for Ireland.

I don't think anyone is ignoring that.

(Also I think posts along the lines of "there's a few posters here say" should be banned. There's not that many of us; point to a specific post. That way we can at least argue the specific point being made)

[Diggs246]

That's interesting about Curtis Davis. How does his eligibility even get discovered?

Is there some FAI employee somewhere going through the family trees of anybody and everybody, even those with no apparent connection to Ireland whatsoever?

Id say he knew his granny was born here and word got out and the FAI approached him
If memory serves there was loads of Irish lads at Hull at the time

[Olé Olé]

I don't think anyone is ignoring that.

(Also I think posts along the lines of "there's a few posters here say" should be banned. There's not that many of us; point to a specific post. That way we can at least argue the specific point being made)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the posts I'm referring to. Calling him "the least Irish player ever to play for us" is a little strange, in my opinion. Someone can be as Irish as they feel and if that is because they were born here then I believe that is okay and if they are willing and capable enough to represent our football team then even better- taking Manning and Kenny and their comments at face value.

And I don't really want to enter into a tit for tat debate directly with you on this, which is why I didn't initially reference your post directly. I think coming in and stating my view is still permitted.

[pineapple stu]

Calling him "the least Irish player ever to play for us" is a little strange, in my opinion.

Not really strange at all to be honest. I think it's a fact for the reasons I've shown. If he wants to play for Ireland, then that's fine of course - but for now I think there's still parallels with the Declan Rice situation and particularly if he turns down a call-up in June, you would start to wonder if he's thinking about changing his mind. And (like Rice) I would understand it if he did want to.

Given that was the gist of the post I was replying to, it seems entirely reasonable.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the posts I'm referring to. And I don't really want to enter into a tit for tat debate directly with you on this, which is why I didn't initially reference your post directly.permitted.

I just find it generally an unhelpful way of debating to be honest. Insidetherock on the Lithuania thread posted that "Anyone writing Troy Parrott off at twenty years of age, is an idiot, and should be called out as such", and it's the same sort of thing - it would be much better to find a post where someone has written Parrott off (because I don't think anyone has) and then you can debate the points easier.

[SkStu]

I have to say, my take on it is as simple as this. The fact that he was born in Ireland immediately makes him more Irish, by the most straightforward definition, than many of the players to have represented us.

“The least Irish player ever to play for us” is complete hyperbole.

[TonyD]

Yeah, Heighway is the obvious comparison alright. Though even then, he spent ten years here (which is way longer than I thought he had, even if he acknowledges he never felt Ireland was home)

Definitely didn’t think he spent anything like that amount of time here.

[pineapple stu]

I have to say, my take on it is as simple as this. The fact that he was born in Ireland immediately makes him more Irish, by the most straightforward definition, than many of the players to have represented us.

The Duke of Wellington would strongly disagree.

So would Steve Highway, based on what the various people in the article I linked had to say about their Irishness.

[CraftyToePoke]

The Duke of Wellington would strongly disagree.

I don't remember TDoW putting out a tweet in his Ireland gear, saying all in, when we picked him though.
I might have missed it of course.

[tetsujin1979]

Thread is going down a dark alley, please keep it on topic, take this discussion to the politics forum if you want to continue

[pineapple stu]

I don't remember TDoW putting out a tweet in his Ireland gear, saying all in, when we picked him though.
I might have missed it of course.

Touché!

I think to sum up the point I was making (and to take it away from tets' dark alley) -

There's definitely parallels with Declan Rice, so I wouldn't read too much into him saying he's committed to playing for us yet.

If anyone is going to consider changing allegiance, it's a fella from a Nigerian family who seems to have lived his entire life bar his first few weeks in England.

If he plays for us, then great. He seems to have made a serious leap forward this year and we're seriously stuck for forwards.

I wouldn't be massively surprised if he changed to Nigeria or held off for an England call-up. Wouldn't begrudge it either (same as I don't begrudge Rice or Grealish)

The point that he already tied himself down to Ireland before is valid and certainly encouraging.

And what happens in June will be interesting.

Not sure any of that is controversial really?

[CraftyToePoke]

I just hope he's a bit sore with Kenny and it'll pass, because he did fully commit to a cap that tied him in fairness to him.

I suppose from his perspective, maybe, possibly ; underage we picked him 8 times when his immediate competition in Parrott / Idah & Connolly were selected 19 /46 / 24 times ( if my maths and Wiki are reliable here ). Even Afolabi was picked 21 times by us. We then came calling as he was breaking through earlier than those lads, and he duly played thus committing. We then promptly went back to ignoring him in favour of those three again & now here we all are again with him doing better than they are and we're smiling and winking at him again. So maybe SK has some work to do is all. ( It shouldn't be like this but these are millennials after all )

We could really do without the international break clause as it hands him all the cards real soon and other countries will be aware.

We could also probably do with his two goals a game habit pausing for a few weeks

It was once said on here of another player that he was ' ours to keep ' and if this all goes tits up with Obafemi that phrase will never have been more apt.

[SkStu]

Not sure any of that is controversial really?

I just thought the “least Irish player ever” was a bit controversial. The main thrust of the argument - that his connection is such that he could jump ship - is grand.

[John83]

I just thought the “least Irish player ever” was a bit controversial. The main thrust of the argument - that his connection is such that he could jump ship - is grand.

I think Pineapple didn't mean that as a negative. He is just patholigically interested in corner cases and exceptions and outliers.

[seanfhear]

FIFA faffing around with the rules again isn’t doing anything for the credibility of International Football.

[ColourfulPeanut]

It seemed like they were messing with the rules specifically so Munir could play for Morocco. I think they've muddied them too much now. Once you play a senior competitive game with a country, you should be tied regardless of age. Nobody is forcing you to take a cap. The way it is now devalues international football

[paul_oshea]

I have to say, my take on it is as simple as this. The fact that he was born in Ireland immediately makes him more Irish, by the most straightforward definition, than many of the players to have represented us.

.

More Irish than say Kevin kilbane like?

[irishfan86]

It seemed like they were messing with the rules specifically so Munir could play for Morocco. I think they've muddied them too much now. Once you play a senior competitive game with a country, you should be tied regardless of age. Nobody is forcing you to take a cap. The way it is now devalues international football

I think if someone is capped as a minor, they should be able to switch. I'll say that much.

[SkStu]

More Irish than say Kevin kilbane like?

By the most straightforward definition, absolutely yes.