Why I fully back James McCarthy's decision to play for Ireland over Scotland

By Brian McNally

Published 17:34 12/02/11

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Why are some people in Scotland still so surprised that James McCarthy prefers to play for the land of his forebears, the Republic of Ireland, rather than the country of his birth, Scotland?

The gifted Wigan midfielder chose the Republic as a 17-year-old when they made the first approach for his international services and three years on he remains fully committed to the Irish cause.

As someone from the same background as young McCarthy I can fully appreciate his desire to play for Ireland and the reasons behind it.

Any doubts about his international leanings were no doubt cemented during his days as a teenager at Hamilton when his decision to opt for Ireland was routinely greeted with boos and jeers and choruses of the racist Famine Song urging those of Irish descent to return to Ireland.

My view is perfectly simple: everyone - no matter what their ethnicity - has a basic right to play for any country they are entitled under FIFA rules to represent.

It is that simple. Yet in Scotland some people chose to make a big issue out of McCarthy's decision.

He decided that his future lay in England away from the abuse he received in Scotland. Fellow Scots-born Republic star Aidan McGeady also decided his career was best served by leaving Glasgow.

It is a well-trodden path that was blazed by Glaswegians of Irish heritage such as Celtic star Charlie Gallagher, the first Scots-born star to play for the Republic in 1967, and  the legendary Ray Houghton, who famously scored the goal that beat England in the 1988 European Championships in Germany.

But to add insult to injury these two fine players were wrongly and sinisterly branded traitors by some critics and fans north of the border.

Strange isn't it that similar flak isn't aimed at Salford-born Phil Bardsley, Mansfield-born Kris Commons or Darlington-born James Morrison when they choose to pull on the dark blue jersey of Scotland?

And years ago I never heard any words of complaint over Bob Wilson, born in Chesterfield, keeping goal for Scotland, Aldershot-born Bruce Rioch captaining the side or Geordie-born Don Hutchison being handed a midfield berth.

Shamefully, it seems some Scots still employ different rules for different races.

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