New Fifa eligibility laws reopen doors for potential Irish recruits

It had seemed that the waters in which the Republic have so fished to such good effect via the 'Granny Rule' had been drained significantly by a ruling late last year

This time last year that then Ireland manager Mick McCarthy asked Patrick Bamford to join the Republic of Ireland set up. 

The FAI is once again looking at just how wide they might be able to cast the net for players with Irish connections after Fifa's decision to change the international eligibility laws earlier this month.

The world governing body decided at a virtual congress that players could switch to another country for which they are eligible as long as they had played no more than three times for their 'first' national team before the age of 21, or played in a major finals.