I'm sure you've all seen Wilshire's comments on foreign born players who have been naturalised shouldn't be allowed to play for England. Is he right, or racist? Personally, don't think he intended to be a xenophobe... but think he is wrong nonetheless. I think "nationality" is an artificial term anyway. Unless you're looking at it from a genetic sense of some kind... and that really would be racist. I may be more multicultural than most though... I'm "slightly less than 50%" English by blood... but that is where I was born and raised... so I'm English. Living in America for a few decades hasn't changed anything. I'm still English... will always be English and never American. My old college roommate/ high school friend was a Kuwaiti born Palestinian. He considered himself American almost immediately... its how he identifies himself and where his allegiance lies. He is for all affects American. My European mum is English despite being born on the continent and not having any English blood... she is the most English person I know. Nationality is just a state of mind. Some immigrants, like me, never really adopt to their new country... even if they gain citizenship... ... others like my mum and college room mate adopt to their new country and become more a citizen of that nation than the people who are born there. Obviously there is no litmus test to see if someone is really english... but to me... if someone has citizenship and really considers himself English... ... by all means let them play for England.
I don't agree, carry on down this road and there will be no point in international football, which after all is supposed to be country vs country. which tbh I don't mind as I loath international football, but where does it stop? let's all trace our roots back to Africa and play for them?
If you've arrived here since the last ice age, you should just Fook off home, you foreign twat! Fooking immigrants, coming over here, hunting our Mammoths and getting to the top of the Caves waiting list...
Its nothing to do with racism and everything to do with it being International football; country versus country. IMO, anyone playing for the national side should either have a parent from that countries or have been born in that country themselves. Behind that, maybe players that were raised in this country for at least five years prior to their sixteenth birthday? Hell, most won't even accept Andy Murray as being British yet we are willing to accept any decent footballer that would make a difference to the English team. That is double standards. Oh, and this citizenship approach isn't anything new either. John Barnes anyone...?
Seriously, if the lad has English Nationality on his passport, then there is no argument. Non-story really, as he first has to be selected, then he's got to accept, and then he's got to play for the seniors, not just the U21's. ManU-factured story of no real worth. Wilshere should have kept his gob shut...
Kevin-Prince Boateng plays for Ghana and his brother, Jérôme Boateng, play for Germany. That makes the whole system a joke IMO.
Tony Cascarino ffs. Back in the Jack Charlton era, your Ma only had to have to have brushed past an Irishman in the shops & you were in.
I think most who switch nationality are doing it just to play at national level were they wouldn't have had a chance otherwise. While our English stalwarts cry off with a broken finger nail, there's players like Boateng, snubbed by Germany who switch to keep playing at that level.
Mark Lawrenson, indeed. But wasn't John Barnes born in Jamaica? And david Gower in India (not football, I know).
Wilshire is right. International football.. hmm. International, national, nation. Yep, you want to play for England either be born there or naturalised. None of this oh, you were living here 5 years, that's cool it would just make international football no different from the PL. If it is allowed then next you'll be going around the globe like the USofA offering people visas so their kids can play for the nation in sports
Current "English" cricket team as got a few "naturalised" players... As long as we thump the convicts I couldn't care less where they came from...
The funniest part of the Cascarino story was that it transpired that he was never entitled to play for them at all! I agree about the 'flag of convenience', like when Anichebe decided to play for Nigeria, as he knew he'd never get a sniff of an England cap.
I don't have a problem with that, he grew up there and got his education there. if Jacuzzi had been in England since 8 then ok, he's there 2 ****ing years Since being 16, it's pathetic and embarrassing for the FA to be honest, no ties to England other than he got a job there 2 years ago
As I said in post #4, it should be where they or their parent where born with the exception of people that have lived in the country for five years PRIOR to their sixteenth birthday (in others, they've been schooled here)
The Januzaj story is much ado about nothing, as the lad wouldn't be eligible to play for England until 2018 anyway.
