The 'granny rule': The Irish football team's finest imports

The Republic of Ireland travels to France this week with a squad of 23 players who will be looking to make history and take Ireland out of the group stage for the first time in the Euros.

Some of our greatest moments have been produced by players who weren't born in Ireland but played as if their lives depended on protecting Irish football pride.

Who could forget Glasgow's Ray Houghton putting the ball in the English net at Euro '88 or Ealing's Paul McGrath keeping Roberto Baggio quiet at USA '94?

Seven players from our current squad - Keiren Westwood, Richard Keogh, Ciaran Clark, Cyrus Christie, Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy and Jonathan Walters - were born in the UK.

With the European Union making borders more accessible, this championship sees many, many players playing for their countries of origin rather than birth and vice versa.

Here we celebrate the players who born outside the Emerald Isle but declared for the Boys in Green via strong family connections.

Mark Lawrenson

Before he was a purveyor of bland football analysis and terrible shirts on Match of the Day, Mark Lawrenson was a really good centre-half/holding midfielder in a glittering club career with Liverpool's dominant '80s side.

Born in Penwortham, Lancashire, Lawrenson made 39 appearances for Ireland and scored the winner in a vital 1-0 Euro qualifier win against Scotland in 1987. A ruptured Achilles ruled Lawrenson out of Euro 88, considerably weakening Ireland in the process but not dimming his status as one of Ireland's best ever defenders.

John Aldridge

A Liverpudlian with a real nose for goal. He led the line for Ireland on 69 occasions and scored hat-tricks against Latvia and Turkey.

He will be most fondly remembered though for his argument with match officials at the 1994 World Cup when trying to get on as a substitute against Mexico. G'wan Aldo!

Mick McCarthy

Let's not mention Saipan here, okay?

Born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, McCarthy captained Ireland at the 1990 World Cup and was probably the team's best performer in the tournament. He then led Ireland to the 2002 World Cup as manager.

Roy Keane might not like him but Mick was a great servant to Irish football.

Ray Houghton

Ray Houghton is solely responsible for two of the greatest ever moments in Irish sporting history; his wondrous, physics-defying header against England at Euro '88 and his sumptuous lob over Gianluca Pagliuca's head at USA '94.

Born in Glasgow, Houghton has always maintained that the Scottish FA showed little interest in him as a youngster, leading him to tog out for the homeland of his father and boy, are we happy he did.

Kevin Kilbane

An unspectacular inclusion but 110 appearances for Ireland, 66 of them consecutively, says it all. A great ambassador for Irish football who never let the side down and played at the 2002 World Cup.

Kevin Sheedy

Born in Wales, Sheedy's father was from Co Clare.

The Everton legend played 46 times for Ireland and the highlight came when he cancelled out Gary Lineker's opener for England in the Italia '90 group clash with a beautiful left-footed daisy cutter.

Shay Brennan

He made just 19 appearances for Ireland but Shay Brennan makes the list because he was the first second generation Irishman to be capped by Ireland in 1965.

The Manchester United legend won the European Cup in 1968 and was buried in his adopted town of Tramore, Co. Waterford in 2000.

Jonathan Walters

Is there any player that embodies the Irish spirit more than Jonathan Walters? The Stoke City man is a Liverpudlian who qualifies for the Republic through his Irish mother.

Honourable mentions:

Paul McGrath - Born in London, but grew up in Ireland and has an Irish accent. McGrath is an absolute bona fide Irish legend and would push Roy Keane for our greatest ever player.

However, he only gets an honourable mention here due to being raised in the country.

Andy Townsend - He might be the most annoying co-commentator on English television at the moment but Townsend was a solid midfielder in the mid to late Jack Charlton era.

Jason McAteer - Because of the goal against the Dutch in 2001 and his many 'Trigger' moments.

Tony Cascarino - Turns out he wan't even eligible to play for Ireland but got 19 goals in 88 appearances, so we don't mind!

David O'Leary - Not a lot of people are aware that the man much ignored by Jack Charlton was born in Stoke Newington, London but raised in Dublin. His penalty in the shoot-out against Romania practically kick started the Celtic Tiger era.

Chris Hughton - A solid full-back, born in London but with family in Ireland. He won 53 caps and played in all three games at Euro '88.

Who would you add to the list?

Check out all the latest news, views and banter in our dedicated Euro 2016 section