Tom Cannon: 'I have always been committed to Ireland, hence why I am here'

COMMITTED TO IRELAND: Tom Cannon insists his commitment to Ireland never wavered despite stalling following an indirect approach from England U21 boss Lee Carsley. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Tom Cannon insists his commitment to Ireland never wavered despite stalling following an indirect approach from England U21 boss Lee Carsley.

Fears that the striker – who Championship winners Leicester City recruited from Everton for £7m – would follow the defection path of Jack Grealish and Declan Rice were rife over the past year.

It followed a revelation by Stephen Kenny 12 months ago that Cannon “wanted to reflect” on his international allegiance.

Tonsillitis thwarted the then Ireland manager’s plans of promoting the Liverpudlian after one U21 cap at Turner’s Cross to the squad but casting doubt over his intentions led to a vacuum over the past year.

Cannon has now accepted the call from interim boss John O’Shea, admitting he might have been better to publicly reassert his loyalty to Ireland.

Rather bizarrely, speaking ahead of his likely senior debut against Hungary on Tuesday, the 21-year-old attributed the England “escalation” links to newspaper speculation when his silence fuelled the uncertainty.

He didn’t speak directly to the English FA but admitted Lee Carsley – who spurned the Ireland job which continues to be vacant – contacted his agent Kenny Moye, brother of David.

“I would not even say I was in two minds,” said Cannon, whose grandparents are from Castlebar and Moycullen.

“It never really entered my head in terms of I am going to have to pick one over the other, more (a case) of taking a step back from it and looking at the situation and going from there.

“I have always been committed to Ireland, hence why I am here.

“There was some truth in it (the approach) but I never had any conversations with anyone. I think it was more Lee Carsley spoke to my agent but I did not speak to Lee Carsley or Gareth Southgate.

“John O’Shea called me up for the last window in March but I was still coming back from injury so I just wanted to maintain my form at Leicester and see the season out.” 

A stress fracture sustained shortly after his deadline day move sidelined Cannon until December. He returned with a bang, scoring three goals in two games at the start of January, and completed the season with 17 appearances, including an opening day cameo for boyhood club Everton.

Were to build on this double-header friendly, concluding on June 11 for Portugal’s swansong before the Euros, by featuring against Jordan Pickford’s England’s in the Uefa Nations League opener, there’s no going back from Ireland.

“Hopefully, I am playing against England,” he said of the September 7 clash at Lansdowne Road.

“Firstly, I want to make my debut against Hungary or Portugal – to show Ireland fans what I can do and how committed I am.”