Potentially eligible players thread

[Scooby Doo]

Now I know wikipedia is not always the most reliable source. However I am assuming that most of the time a players wiki page is updated/edited by themselves or somebody close to them?
I've been checking Nolan's wiki page regularly the last few days since the new eligability rule came in. Where it previously stated that that Nolan could no longer declare for the Ireland or Dutch squads, today it reads:

Republic of Ireland

'On Friday, the 5th June 2009, article 18 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes was ammended by FIFA Congress to allow players who have competed as a junior for one country to still follow an international career with another. This is excellent news for Kevin as it now enables him to offically declare for the Republic of Ireland. Nolan is known to be keen to pull on the green of Ireland and has had numerous discussions with previous Irish management teams on this matter. However, he has previously played for England at under-21 level, albeit in a friendly, which disqualified him from playing for the Republic of Ireland's senior team.'

Interesting.

[Deckydee]

Unless you have some smoking gun piece of evidence that confirms he's of that mentality I don't think you should make these kind of stupid statements.

I don't think anyone is calling for a return to the days of 8 or 9 British born players in the team, all this rule change does is is provide options for the National team, and it will help deepen our playing pool, something that is drastically needed - this is surely a good thing!

Another player that would become available is Matthew Connolly from QPR...he could be worth a look

Point 1 - Bang on, dont say such things! He has made his choice and is happy with it.

Point 2 - Fantastic idea!! Get him onboard trap! Will solve the right back issue and even plays better as a center

[Deckydee]

Now I know wikipedia is not always the most reliable source. However I am assuming that most of the time a players wiki page is updated/edited by themselves or somebody close to them?
I've been checking Nolan's wiki page regularly the last few days since the new eligability rule came in. Where it previously stated that that Nolan could no longer declare for the Ireland or Dutch squads, today it reads:

Republic of Ireland

'On Friday, the 5th June 2009, article 18 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes was ammended by FIFA Congress to allow players who have competed as a junior for one country to still follow an international career with another. This is excellent news for Kevin as it now enables him to offically declare for the Republic of Ireland. Nolan is known to be keen to pull on the green of Ireland and has had numerous discussions with previous Irish management teams on this matter. However, he has previously played for England at under-21 level, albeit in a friendly, which disqualified him from playing for the Republic of Ireland's senior team.'

Interesting.

Scooby, do you have a link for this? Oh hang on I found it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Nolan


VERY Interesting!

[EalingGreen]

Just out of curiosity why do FIFA keep changing the rules.

As I understand it, this amendment was not initiated by FIFA itself - in fact, they probably weren't even expecting it.

Rather, the Algerian FA raised it at the recent FIFA Annual Conference in the Bahamas, managing to get 54% support for their proposal in a vote by delegates.

(Afaik, Algeria and a lot of other former African colonies are p1ssed off by France, Belgium, Portugal etc, picking young players of African descent at under-age level right up to they are 21, then blithely discarding them from consideration for senior caps. Many of these players might still do a job for the country of their ancestry, but were not allowed to after they passed their 21st Birthday)

[Noelys Guitar]

Alan McLoughlin in 1990 surely? Waddock had retired long before 94. What made it worse for Waddock was that he was in the original squad but doubts over Ray Houghton's fitness convinced Jack he needed McLoughlin for cover. Jack said afterwards that Frank Stapleton was the one he should have left out as he had no intention of playing him but thought he deserved to be in the squad due to his service to Irish football over the years. Said the Stapleton did nothing but walk around with a face like a smacked @rse the whole tournament and was a complete pain in the hole to have around!

On topic I'm not overly comfortable with the rule change but not naive enough to think we won't utilise it. And if we use it we might as well make the most of it, Noble would be a great addition, O'Hara I'm not sure off, bit of a party boy and I think Noan is past his best and needs a move out of Newcastle before he should be considered. Thefact he had his chance and turned us down would be a black mark for me.

Waddock was still playing in 1994 for Bristol Rovers. He retired in 1995/96

[pete]

While I accept some may this as hypocritical view IMO recruiting english players en-mass would destroy the Irish team. Recent games should highlight that its not just about results & fans need to feel a connection with their team.

[Weatherman]

At the end of the day lads this is'nt a compitition to see who is the most irish! yeah anton ferdinand, nolan and the likes might have never set foot in ireland but if they are better players then we have then why not bring them on board?? it will give us more strenght and dept that we need and plus it could force stephen ireland to come back cause lets face it he knows he can just walk into the team at the moment but if nolan, noble n o'hara do decide to come on board then trap wont be so desperate for ireland to return.

[Noelys Guitar]

Trap's comments on the rule change.
"It's very important," said Trapattoni. "I know we have players in England who are already U-21 with the English team, but sure, we can look for these players in the future. But it depends on if they are willing to play for us. There are one, two, three players who can strengthen our team."

[Den Perry]

There lies the difference...what you call "pseudo morality", I call "pride".

Still, if Trap goes on to achieve anything like the success of Charlton than I'll be as happy as anyone.

I'll support my country regardless. I'll do so for the Irish born lads and the lads who, although born abroad; are Irish.

I will not be happy to see Noble, Nolan or O'Hara play for Ireland, because they want to play for England...simple as that.
It is here that I have particular respect for the likes of Kilbane...who turned down England when he was younger.
The only laughable thing is you describing my outlook as such!

What has Noble done to irk you? by the way, did you support Ray Houghton?

[Wolfie]

Trap's comments on the rule change.
"It's very important," said Trapattoni. "I know we have players in England who are already U-21 with the English team, but sure, we can look for these players in the future. But it depends on if they are willing to play for us. There are one, two, three players who can strengthen our team."

A sensible response from Trapp. If this rule change unearths one or two established players with a real commitment to the cause, its a bonus.

[ifk101]

Cunningham wary on eligibility change

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/0608/ireland.html

[Fizzer]

Would be a strange situation if Anton Ferdinand declared for us and played against England and Rio. Anyone ever heard of two brothers playing against each other for two different countries? (not sure if Anton's good enough to get in our squad anyway at the moment but he's young)

[Deckydee]

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcu...ws.asp?n=36538

[tetsujin1979]

Would be a strange situation if Anton Ferdinand declared for us and played against England and Rio. Anyone ever heard of two brothers playing against each other for two different countries? (not sure if Anton's good enough to get in our squad anyway at the moment but he's young)

Christian Vieiri's brother Massimiliano played for Australia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Vieri - Christian was born in Italy, but his brother was born in Oz after his family emigrated there

Another player that would become available is Matthew Connolly from QPR...he could be worth a look

Connolly was called into the U-19's a few years ago - http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/0810/under19.html - but didn't play. Think he might have pulled out of the squad altogether.
Played for England U-19s nine months later: http://www.thefa.com/England/MensUnd...9_belgium.aspx

off topic, quite a few of that Ireland U-19 squad have gone on to gain full international caps, while only Micah Richards from the England squad has a full cap.

[Wangball]

Anyone ever heard of two brothers playing against each other for two different countries?

In the last World Cup Ivory Coast & Holland were drawn together in the Group Stage, at the time Bonnaventure Kalou was captain of the Ivorian team while his brother Salomon was trying desperately to get Dutch citizenship so that he could play for Holland - Van Basten even left an open space for him in the squad, his brother was quite damning of hm saying he shouldn't even be considering this kind of thing and people in the Ivory Coast were up in arms (historcally it doesn't take much for this to happen!) calling it treason and what not but in the end his citizenship never came through, he never played for Holland and he's now an integral part of the Ivorian set up...funny how stuff like that happens!

[Noelys Guitar]

Remember the Gallens at QPR. One brother declared for Ireland the other brother declared for England. Don't think either brother broke through into their senior international teams.

[NeilMcD]

Where is the evidence of Givens comments about Stephen Ireland.

[republicofwhite]

as i say, save your Westwood vitriol for someone else more deserving of it. The guy cleared up the Catholic boy thing ages ago, it was tongue in cheek banter to some amateur journalist up in Carlisle and was completely misinterpretated. i was talking to him after the Nigeria match, he's a very humble and down to earth guy and was stressing how delighted he was to get the cap, and how it was a massive deal for him. Also the last guy to board the team bus by a mile, as he hung around chatting and getting pictures with all the kids and fans for as long as they liked. Lets not tar everyone with the same brush just because of their birth place, give them a chance to prove their interest and passion to play for us first. They're not all Terry Mancini's for instance.

[Wangball]

What you mean the "im not Irish as such, Im a good catholic boy" quote from him?

http://www.sundaymercury.net/midland...6331-21135286/

Get a grip. My 2 favorite Irish players of all time Gary Breen and Kev Kilbane were both British born. I've no problem with British born players playing for us-as a country that has our past history of emmigration to Britain we are always going to have british born players in the squad-but this lads inclusion is highly suspicious and opportunistic and there remains the possibility that if he is not capped as a full international in a years time then England may well come in for him.
.

Excuse me for not being psychic and knowing who your 2 favourite players are, fact is Westwood has been attracting attention from Premier League clubs from back in his Carlisle days, in fact any thing I've read about him has suggested that its destined that this boy will play at the highest level sooner rather than later, now if he is as opportunistic and England Cap crazy as you suggest why would he of ever came into our squad in the first place??

The Good Catholic boy thing was cleared up a long time ago

And just to make the point this break in the ruling means that any British born player currently playing underage Football for Ireland or indeed any Foreign born player who has never pregressed past U21 is now eligible for their country of birth...why have you singled out Westwood???

Its actually just dawned on me that this ruling thing is horrible for us....we could now lose Patrick Kohlmann to Germany...what were Fifa thinking??!?!?

[Den Perry]

Phil Bardsley I think. Would be good addition.

Bardsley is scandalous...and I've seen him a few times