Former England international Wayne Rooney has revealed that he almost played for the Republic of Ireland during his professional career.
The 39-year-old established himself as one of England’s greatest-ever players during an international career that spanned 15 years.
Rooney earned 120 caps for the Three Lions and scored 53 goals, remaining a key figure in the England team for over a decade.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Rooney said he was approached by former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy in 2003 about pledging his allegiance to the country’s national team.
When asked which country he would have represented other than England, Rooney said: “Mine would be Ireland. It would have been great. Mick [McCarthy] called me up when I was 16. I spoke to [former Everton manager] Lee Carsley, and he spoke to Mick.
“I was close to doing it, and then they said they wanted to call me up to Ireland U21s. I was like, I’m not playing for Ireland U21s—if you want me, pick me in the proper team!
“And then it never happened, and I started playing for England.”
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