Flanagan close to Ireland switch
The highly-rated defender, who turned 19 on New Year’s Day, qualifies through the so-called ‘grandparent rule’ and has apparently been ruminating on the decision for a number of months.
The Irish Examiner understands that, although there has yet to be any official contact between the FAI and Flanagan, he would be “welcomed with open arms” by the Irish set-up. The right-back has appeared for England U19s and U21s in the past year but reportedly feels that his long-term international future might be better served with Ireland.