McCarthy confirms he will play for Ireland

AT last, it’s official and it comes straight from the horse’s mouth— James McCarthy has confirmed his commitment to Ireland and expressed the hope that he plays against Macedonia next Saturday.

“I appreciate the interest from Scotland but I do not want to go back on my word,” said the Glasgow-born midfielder. “I am, and will remain, a Republic of Ireland player. I hope to play against Macedonia next weekend and that will put any talk of Scotland to bed once and for all. There can be no going back after that.”

The player’s statement underlines in public what he told Giovanni Trapattoni during a private meeting recently and is especially welcome in light of his Wigan boss, Roberto Martinez, muddying the waters last week by again casting doubt on McCarthy’s international future. But now the 20-year-old has firmly put all the speculation to bed.