Jack Wilshere

[northbank123]

I don't think there's a hard and fast rule but for me there are distinctions. This is an issue that has raised itself once or twice with England (talk of Almunia and Cudicini) but one that regularly eats away at me with Wales.

Robert Earnshaw, for example, was born in Zambia and lived in Africa til he was 9. He then moved to the South Wales valleys and basically became a Welsh lad through and through, proud to represent his country. No issue with him qualifying for Wales at all. On the other hand, somebody like Ben Thatcher had a Welsh grandmother and played for Wales purely because it was his only hope of playing international football. Believe me, it's a complete embarrassment to have players playing for your country who don't give a shit. It of course didn't help that he's a prick.

It will be a complete farce if a kid born into a South-Eastern European family in Belgium lives there until 16 and then pretends to be English.

And yet the English have taken tony gregg, alan lamb, graeme hick, kevin pietersen, mo farah etc etc as honorary citizens and lauded them as english heroes.

About time football came out of the dark ages. It isn't just the players that seem just a tad ignorant.

The world is a small place, you can live and work and claim citizenship pretty much anywhere with the right occupations. Why doesn't that apply for footballers who haven't chosen their international country of choice?? Its not like the "english" players we have are good enough to win the world cup.

Firstly, the Mo Farah case is basically identical to the Rob Earnshaw case that I mentioned above.

Secondly, only selecting players who consider themselves English is being in the Dark Ages? You've obviously given up on any hope of English improving but how are they ever going to get to the pinnacle of world football if they just pick players that aren't good enough to play for their host nation and those who don't fancy playing for their nations because they're cack?

And you have the temerity to call others ignorant?

[Red Gunner]

It will be a complete farce if a kid born into a South-Eastern European family in Belgium lives there until 16 and then pretends to be English.

I disagree that it would be a "farce." Eduardo moved to Croatia when he was 16 and fourteen years on, he has scored 29 goals for his adopted country. Second only to Davor Suker. You also have Senna who moved to Spain when he was 26 (!) and he ended up winning the Euros with them. Diego Costa (moved to Spain when 19) will now play for Spain too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24398489

There are strict rules in international football. Once you've played one official game, that's it. It'd only be a farce if players would be switching countries every second tournament.

Anyway discussing "Januzaj for England" is a waste of time. I'm 100% sure Januzaj won't pick England. Firstly he was born and grew up in Belgium and he's ethnically Kosovar-Albanian. And secondly he'll have to wait for a long time before he can get selected for England and Belgium right now are as good as England.

[I Hate Hleb]

Just because other countries - and indeed other sports - have resorted to doing it, doesn't make it any less of a farce!!

[Red Gunner]

Just because other countries - and indeed other sports - have resorted to doing it, doesn't make it any less of a farce!!

According to some football fans in some places - black football players playing for European teams is a farce. I've come across people like that.

I'm not saying that people who are opposed to Januzaj, Sterling and Zaha are racist or xenophobic but we all have different views of what a farce is.

[northbank123]

Just because other countries - and indeed other sports - have resorted to doing it, doesn't make it any less of a farce!!

According to some football fans in some places - black football players playing for European teams is a farce. I've come across people like that.

I'm not saying that people who are opposed to Januzaj, Sterling and Zaha are racist or xenophobic but we all have different views of what a farce is.

The clubbing together of those 3 players hardly seems appropriate to me. Sterling and Zaha moved here as young kids and played in English academies since they were old enough to get spotted at 10. They've lived basically their entire lives and certainly their entire footballing careers from a young age in this country.

I realise that I'm giving a personal value judgement as to who is and isn't acceptable, and that not everybody will agree. I also appreciate that you're not suggesting anybody here is racist but by grouping those 3 players together and even mentioning about idiotic racists you're distracting from the key point here: THE KID IS IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM ENGLISH, nor does he consider himself thus. So why would it be anything less than a farce if he was to represent England purely because it would be more beneficial and convenient to him?

[nut flush gooner]

Jesus Christ!! It's not bad enough that we have gooners setting up dubiously subjected threads slating one of our best players, it's now being used for no reason other than to throw insults at his supposed lack of intelligence - all because he responded to something asked which probably the majority of English football followers would agree with!! Seriously, you guys are embarrassing yourselves a lot more than you claim Jack is!!

What you think most england fans are bothered about where our players are born??? Next time Mo Farah picks up a gold medal and play homage to the arsenal be proud not embarased as I am for your last post.

Wilshire is a prize eejit, he needs to worry about improving his form this season than who is eligible to play for England. And yes he needs to work on the basics, like how to speak in an articulate manner rather than come across as a chavvy ignoramous.

Don't be concerning yourself about my post matey, you should be more embarrassed about your spelling and lack of a coherent argument!! And what the feck has Mo Farrah being an Arsenal fan got to do with anything?

How comes everyone - especially the media - seems to be using the Mo Farrah example? What about all the other sportsmen and women that have only changed countries solely out of convenience - normally financial - rather than Farrah who came to to this country under totally different circumstances which were beyond his control?

And to answer your question: Yes, I do think most England fans are bothered by where the players are born, as I believe most people of other countries would be. What's the point of having Internationals between different countries if it doesn't actually matter where the participants come from?

So your response is to have a pop at someone's spelling. As you choose to take an elitist approach do you have GCSE English, I bet you don't.

The only England fans that have a problem with a players origin are those that are on the fringes of the far right. Seriously wake up and smell the coffee, this country is a melting pot of different cultures and races, do you not think that this is going to come up more in the coming years? Of course it is ......

Your retarded point about the point of internationals and origins of players doesn't seem to cause any problems with cricket does it, we have had players of south African origin playing for us for decades.

Lets go back to Wilshere, he's already backtracked on his original tweet after Kevin Pietersen had a pop at him. Perhaps Jack needs to go on a communications skills course. As for England, if these players do decide to play for us and we end up winning something I don't think this sort of discussion would get off the ground. Funny how fickle the football world is ehhhh?

[northbank123]

Jesus Christ!! It's not bad enough that we have gooners setting up dubiously subjected threads slating one of our best players, it's now being used for no reason other than to throw insults at his supposed lack of intelligence - all because he responded to something asked which probably the majority of English football followers would agree with!! Seriously, you guys are embarrassing yourselves a lot more than you claim Jack is!!

What you think most england fans are bothered about where our players are born??? Next time Mo Farah picks up a gold medal and play homage to the arsenal be proud not embarased as I am for your last post.

Wilshire is a prize eejit, he needs to worry about improving his form this season than who is eligible to play for England. And yes he needs to work on the basics, like how to speak in an articulate manner rather than come across as a chavvy ignoramous.

Don't be concerning yourself about my post matey, you should be more embarrassed about your spelling and lack of a coherent argument!! And what the feck has Mo Farrah being an Arsenal fan got to do with anything?

How comes everyone - especially the media - seems to be using the Mo Farrah example? What about all the other sportsmen and women that have only changed countries solely out of convenience - normally financial - rather than Farrah who came to to this country under totally different circumstances which were beyond his control?

And to answer your question: Yes, I do think most England fans are bothered by where the players are born, as I believe most people of other countries would be. What's the point of having Internationals between different countries if it doesn't actually matter where the participants come from?

So your response is to have a pop at someone's spelling. As you choose to take an elitist approach do you have GCSE English, I bet you don't.

The only England fans that have a problem with a players origin are those that are on the fringes of the far right. Seriously wake up and smell the coffee, this country is a melting pot of different cultures and races, do you not think that this is going to come up more in the coming years? Of course it is ......

Your retarded point about the point of internationals and origins of players doesn't seem to cause any problems with cricket does it, we have had players of south African origin playing for us for decades.

Lets go back to Wilshere, he's already backtracked on his original tweet after Kevin Pietersen had a pop at him. Perhaps Jack needs to go on a communications skills course. As for England, if these players do decide to play for us and we end up winning something I don't think this sort of discussion would get off the ground. Funny how fickle the football world is ehhhh?

You seriously need to rethink this. Seriously.

[topgoon]

Whatever Jack did or didn't say, I suddenly think it couldn't be that bad.

If a grade A tool like John Fashanu calls you an idiot, you can't be doing too much wrong. This c word disowned his own brother simply for being gay. F**k off you match fixing tw*t.

[safcftm]

Thats Jack's name off Mo Farahs Arsenal shirt then.

Mo is allowed, because he is good.

other countries seem to be doing it, we should follow suit, Klose and Podolski were both Polish born, but rather play for Germany..

To be fair Mo Farah shouldn't even feature in this debate, him representing Britain would be acceptable even if he only arrived here last week since his dad was born in England- with a British born parent of course he could represent Britain, it's not the same or even comparable to Januzaj. Klose's dad was German so that's very different as well. Podolski is a bit more similar to Januzaj but then he moved to Germany when 2 years old- in cases like that Germany is all he knows, he's received his whole education there etc, even without a German grandparent I'd say it's fair enough that he'd represent Germany. Januzaj has no such English heritage, he only moved here to play football and should never play for England (he'd probably choose Belgium anyway after all this!)

[safcftm]

I don't think there's a hard and fast rule but for me there are distinctions. This is an issue that has raised itself once or twice with England (talk of Almunia and Cudicini) but one that regularly eats away at me with Wales.

Robert Earnshaw, for example, was born in Zambia and lived in Africa til he was 9. He then moved to the South Wales valleys and basically became a Welsh lad through and through, proud to represent his country. No issue with him qualifying for Wales at all. On the other hand, somebody like Ben Thatcher had a Welsh grandmother and played for Wales purely because it was his only hope of playing international football. Believe me, it's a complete embarrassment to have players playing for your country who don't give a shit. It of course didn't help that he's a prick.

It will be a complete farce if a kid born into a South-Eastern European family in Belgium lives there until 16 and then pretends to be English.

Spot on, exactly how I see it. Zaha and Sterling moved here at a very young age, were educated here, all they can remember is England, if they choose to represent England its fair enough but not Januzaj. As for it being people on the far right who have a problem with the eligibility of certain people, I agree that that's way off the mark. Wanting the England team to be made up of people who have a genuine claim to "Englishness" is nothing to do with politics and all to do with the spirit of international football- if the England team was ever comprised totally of people with the same eligibility as Januzaj I'd find it very hard to support them, it wouldn't be England.

[I Hate Hleb]

So your response is to have a pop at someone's spelling. As you choose to take an elitist approach do you have GCSE English, I bet you don't.

First of all - I guarantee you would lose that bet!! Secondly, I also had a pop at your rational, which I said was incoherent and which you confirm by making the following argument...

The only England fans that have a problem with a players origin are those that are on the fringes of the far right.

Seriously, how old or ignorant are you?

Your retarded point about the point of internationals and origins of players doesn't seem to cause any problems with cricket does it, we have had players of south African origin playing for us for decades.

Retarded point? Fuck me, if you can't see the reason and logic in that argument then you must be every bit as stupid as you are appearing on here. And as I pointed out in an earlier post, just because other countries and sports do it, doesn't make it right!!

Lets go back to Wilshere, he's already backtracked on his original tweet after Kevin Pietersen had a pop at him. Perhaps Jack needs to go on a communications skills course. As for England, if these players do decide to play for us and we end up winning something I don't think this sort of discussion would get off the ground. Funny how fickle the football world is ehhhh?

Is this the same Kevin Pietersen that only 'chose' to play for England when he couldn't get into the South African set-up? Oh, and the only people showing 'fickleness' are those that are prepared to let anyone play for the national team as long as they help it get success.

[Deise Gooner]

He isnt even eligible to play for England currently so anyone that says it is far right thinking to say that he shouldnt is flawed in their reasoning. He isnt English, thats a legal fact!

The media jumping on Wilshere's backed and now Gooners doing it is incredible! All the bolke has said is that you shouldnt be allowed to play for England if you have become a naturalised citizen as an adult who has gone there to play football. Who cares if Spain did it with Senna, thats their prerogative, under FIFA rules he wont be eligible until 2018 so this is all pie in the sky.

[QuartzGooner]

If a player goes to a country as a kid and essentially "grows up" there, he should be able to play for it i.e. Zaha or Sterling.

If a player is a refugee and cannot go back to his country of origin, then he should also be able to play for the new country i.e. Muamba.

If a player has a parent from a country different from that he has grown up in, he should have to pick a country and stick to it, regardless if his debut is under-21 or full level.

If a player like Januzaj can pick England, it makes a mockery of international football.
So too having a foreign manager.
In that case we might as well just stop international football and make the World Cup a summer competition for club teams.

[officepest]

Is this the same Kevin Pietersen that only 'chose' to play for England when he couldn't get into the South African set-up? Oh, and the only people showing 'fickleness' are those that are prepared to let anyone play for the national team as long as they help it get success.

Comparing Januzaj to Pietersen is a bit of a red herring though IHH. KP has an English mother and elected to play for the ECB due to SA's quota system, plus he came over and grafted for Notts and fulfilled his naturalisation obligations, whether this is acceptable is a personal view I suppose.

Januzaj has no British relatives and is not here because his family are war refugees or have fled out of fear of persecution, it would purely be a 'career' choice.

I honestly have very little regard for international football but if someone naturalises then I suppose it's their choice to make when they decide whom to represent.

The point is moot though as he doesn't even naturalise until 2018.

[Deise Gooner]

Is this the same Kevin Pietersen that only 'chose' to play for England when he couldn't get into the South African set-up? Oh, and the only people showing 'fickleness' are those that are prepared to let anyone play for the national team as long as they help it get success.

Comparing Januzaj to Pietersen is a bit of a red herring though IHH. KP has an English mother and elected to play for the ECB due to SA's quota system, plus he came over and grafted for Notts and fulfilled his naturalisation obligations, whether this is acceptable is a personal view I suppose.

Januzaj has no British relatives and is not here because his family are war refugees or have fled out of fear of persecution, it would purely be a 'career' choice.

I honestly have very little regard for international football but if someone naturalises then I suppose it's their choice to make when they decide whom to represent.

The point is moot though as he doesn't even naturalise until 2018.

It seems many are forgetting this, he has to have been resident in England for 5 years from the age of 18 to qualify. He may not even be paying here that long FFS