O’Neill: Players to make Ireland call

Martin O’Neill says the issue of Northern Ireland players defecting to the Republic is a “complicated one” but, ultimately, he feels, the final decision has to be left with the individual player.

The subject is close to O’Neill’s heart given he is a Derry man, a former Northern Ireland international and now the manager of fellow Foylesider James McClean who, although he hasn’t made Giovanni Trapattoni’s latest squad, was this week cleared by FIFA to play for the Republic.

“James had made up his mind that this is what he wants to do despite the fact he’d played for Northern Ireland’s U21s,” said O’Neill. “When Michael O’Neill got the [Northern Ireland] job he called me and he was obviously disappointed to lose a very talented player.

“And Northern Ireland — particularly at the moment — can ill-afford to lose talented players. The squad itself seems wafer-thin and from that viewpoint I can understand his disappointment. But it’s a personal choice. Those rules didn’t apply when I was playing and I’ve no problem with it. No matter what tendency you might have yourself, you have to give the individual that choice. I never had that choice. I didn’t realise it had been brought up in Parliament. It’s something I will have a look at.”