O’Neill: player eligibility is a football issue not a political or religious one

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill accepts that player eligibility is a football issue not a political or religious one, but has criticised the FAI for their communication with the IFA over players who wish to switch allegiance from the North to the Republic.

In a newspaper interview published last week, O’Neill claimed the FAI “only ever approach one type of player: Catholic”. Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill said that “to bring religion into it” was “very disappointing”.

At a squad announcement in Dublin last week, Martin O’Neill also stressed he had taken no senior player from the North in his time at the helm, prompting his Northern Ireland counterpart to say yesterday that the Republic manager “misunderstood the issues I wish to address”.