Switching Allegiances: Players who controversially decided to play for England

Football is a sport of emotion, with passion fueling players and fans alike. For some, the emotion comes when they play for their country, with tears in their eyes as they hear their national anthem blare out. Some players, through their family history, have a choice to play for multiple countries, and some like to dabble with both before making their decision. Let’s take a look at the players who chose to play for England over other nations.

Possibly the most famous example in recent times, Declan Rice played for Ireland from u16s through to senior football, where he turned out three times in friendlies. UEFA rules allowed him to make the switch, choosing to commit to the Three Lions for his future.

Since his decision to move, Rice has become a key cog in the England midfield, helping the Three Lions progress to multiple finals at major international tournaments. Whilst his decision was controversial, it’s hard to argue that it didn’t work out for him and the English team.

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Keane is another who broke into international football through the Irish youth teams before committing his international future to England. His twin brother, Will, ironically did the exact opposite, playing his youth football for England before switching to Ireland for senior football.

Keane isn’t as high a profile player as Declan Rice, but was still able to play 12 times for England, albeit with his last cap coming in 2020 per Transfermarkt. You would have to imagine that had he stayed loyal to Ireland, he would have been a mainstay in their defence and would have been able to play with his brother. We think this was the wrong move for Keane.

Bamford was, at one point, considered a huge prospect for Chelsea after they signed him from the Nottingham Forest academy in 2012. Things didn’t quite go to plan in West London, but Bamford has carved out a successful career at Leeds in recent years. His first youth international cap came as a member of the Irish u18s team in 2010 before committing to England, where he earned one cap.

Bamford’s goal-scoring record in the Championship and Premier League is fairly impressive, and at one point in 2021, he was even given an England cap. Given Ireland’s struggles in recent years on the international stage, adding someone like Bamford could have been a significant boost to their team. Bamford probably got this one wrong.

Despite being born in South London, Dembele moved to Scotland as a child and was eligible for their international team. The Mirror described Dembele’s situation as a “huge tug of war between England and Scotland,” during his time in the Celtic academy, where he was seen as one for the future. Dembele has represented both nations at youth level, most recently for England which could prove to be his ultimate decision.

Dembele’s career is still in its infancy, only recently settling back into English football with Queen’s Park Rangers. Whether he plays senior international football depends on whether he can re-find the form that made him such a highly sought-after prospect in the first place.

Grealish was a mainstay in the Irish youth ranks, qualifying for the country through his family. He played for Ireland until the age of 19 where he was a key part of their u21 team. He eventually chose to commit to England, a move that could have been a risk, as he had to wait until 2020 to earn his senior call-up.

Despite Grealish not being a part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 side, Grealish had previously been an important member of Southgate’s squads, appearing at a European Championship and a World Cup, so this was probably the right move. Ireland have struggled to qualify for major tournaments recently, although perhaps if everyone on this list had committed to Ireland, things could have been different!

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