Grealish gets U21 squad call-up

Just 24 hours after Martin O’Neill revealed Jack Grealish’s reluctance to answer a senior call-up, the Aston Villa starlet was yesterday named in the Ireland U21 squad for Friday week’s Uefa Championship qualifier against Germany in Halle.

Concerns about the 18-year-old switching allegiance to England haven’t been dissipated by Noel King’s decision to pick him as he cannot change for another year unless it’s to accept a shock invitation by Roy Hodgson into the senior fold of the Three Lions.

Although England’s U21s are on the brink of qualifying for next year’s European Championship finals in Czech Republic, Fifa rules prevent a player from representing two different nations over the same campaign. Grealish, (pictured) however, is young enough to figure in the next set of qualifiers that kick off in September 2015.

O’Neill would expect that, for all his understanding of the youngster’s dilemma, Grealish is a fully-fledged member of his senior squad by then. While the option to jump ship from the country his two sets of grandparents were born in remains open at underage level, one senior cap seals his international commitment to that country.

The Birmingham-born flanker has already figured in five of Ireland’s seven U21 qualifiers – missing the two last October only because of injury – and will finish out the campaign against the Germans at the Erdgas Sportpark in what is a dead rubber for the Irish.

“We all know that Martin O’Neill spoke to Jack about his long term intentions,” said King yesterday, who made Grealish his youngest-ever cap a year ago by giving the then 17-year-old rookie a late cameo in the Faroe Islands. These are big decisions for any boy. Jack’s happy to play for us at this time and we’re happy to accommodate him. He’s always done very well for us and hopefully he’ll realise his potential. Everybody knows his talent and he gets on very well with the rest of the lads in the group.”

Grealish isn’t just in demand on the international stage. Villa have this week opened negotiations on an enhanced long-term contract for the teen, as his current deal lapses at the end of the season.

Given the strides he’s made in recent months – the attacker was Paul Lambert’s first substitute introduced during last week’s Premier League victory at Stoke City – plenty of suitors boasting vaster resources are monitoring the situation.