It is being reported in the British press that Jack Grealish has made up his mind about which country he will play international football for, and it is bad news for the Republic of Ireland.
Grealish has played for Ireland at Under-17s, Under-18s and Under-21s level, but is also eligible to play for England.
The 20-year-old impressed at midfield for Premier League side Aston Villa last season and this drew the attention of the English press and England manager Roy Hodgson.
Grealish has yet to play as a senior international level, choosing to ignore a call-up from Martin O’Neill earlier this year.
The UK Independent reports today that the player has chosen England as his senior side, and will declare before the final round of Euro 2016 qualifiers next month.
The news will come as a blow to Ireland, who face crucial games at home to Germany and away to Poland as they chase automatic qualification or, more likely, a play-off place.
England play Estonia and Lithuania in the final round of matches, but have already qualified for next year’s tournament in France. Even if he chooses to play for England, It is debatable whether Grealish will be given a place in their squad for the tournament.