eligibility rule when looking at a player turning out for a country other than the one he was born in is that if parents or even grandparents were born there or indeed if the player has lived in the country continuously for two years, they can be eligible to play for said country.

Cue football associations taking a very healthy interest in young players who show promise that have at very best ‘dubious’ links to their country in the hope they can convince them to effectively turn their back on their home nation and play for a different country.

Take Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson, who was born in Northern Ireland yet was called up to the ROI team by Trapattoni. Obviously the Northern Irish contingent were less than impressed, and manager Worthington stated he felt ‘exploited’ and that the issue should be dealt with at the very highest level of football.

No one can accuse Trapattoni of not having his eye firmly on the ball when it comes to poaching – he reportedly tried to lure Jamie O’Hara, Kevin Nolan and Gay Cahill to play for the Republic of Ireland, surely depriving the above player’s home nations of the chance to pick them had they decided to take Trapattoni up on his offer.

Clearly it needs someone to take a stand – when it comes to p
eligibility rule when looking at a player turning out for a country other than the one he was born in is that if parents or even grandparents were born there or indeed if the player has lived in the country continuously for two years, they can be eligible to play for said country.

Cue football associations taking a very healthy interest in young players who show promise that have at very best ‘dubious’ links to their country in the hope they can convince them to effectively turn their back on their home nation and play for a different country.

Take Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson, who was born in Northern Ireland yet was called up to the ROI team by Trapattoni. Obviously the Northern Irish contingent were less than impressed, and manager Worthington stated he felt ‘exploited’ and that the issue should be dealt with at the very highest level of football.

No one can accuse Trapattoni of not having his eye firmly on the ball when it comes to poaching – he reportedly tried to lure Jamie O’Hara, Kevin Nolan and Gay Cahill to play for the Republic of Ireland, surely depriving the above player’s home nations of the chance to pick them had they decided to take Trapattoni up on his offer.

Clearly it needs someone to take a stand – when it comes to p
eligibility rule when looking at a player turning out for a country other than the one he was born in is that if parents or even grandparents were born there or indeed if the player has lived in the country continuously for two years, they can be eligible to play for said country.

Cue football associations taking a very healthy interest in young players who show promise that have at very best ‘dubious’ links to their country in the hope they can convince them to effectively turn their back on their home nation and play for a different country.

Take Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson, who was born in Northern Ireland yet was called up to the ROI team by Trapattoni. Obviously the Northern Irish contingent were less than impressed, and manager Worthington stated he felt ‘exploited’ and that the issue should be dealt with at the very highest level of football.

No one can accuse Trapattoni of not having his eye firmly on the ball when it comes to poaching – he reportedly tried to lure Jamie O’Hara, Kevin Nolan and Gay Cahill to play for the Republic of Ireland, surely depriving the above player’s home nations of the chance to pick them had they decided to take Trapattoni up on his offer.

Clearly it needs someone to take a stand – when it comes to p