Jim Crawford has urged dual nationality prospect Tom Cannon to think carefully about his international future - and to look at Evan Ferguson’s progress to the senior team as an example of what can be achieved with Ireland.
The Under-21 boss believes that there is a clear pathway to Stephen Kenny’s side.
He admitted that he wasn’t surprised by England’s interest in the Aintree-born Everton youngster, given his form while on-loan last season at Preston.
Cannon scored eight goals for the Championship side and Crawford said: “He was going through a real purple patch with Preston at the end of the season.
“With dual nationality, there is every chance the other nation will be interested and make an approach.
“Tom is a very good player, what we have here with the Republic of Ireland, is a real sort of concrete pathway with players.
“We’ve a system here with the 21s, we’ve had so many players who got promoted to the senior team.
“You look at examples like Evan Ferguson who played with us last year and from the goal he scored against Israel, it was 55 days later that he was making his senior debut (against Norway).
“The game against France, there were eight to ten players who had played for the 21s and who were playing against a team like France and doing fantastically well.
“Tom, I always knew that he was going to attract attention, but it’s now up to himself what he wants to do.”
Crawford warned: “For me, there are some countries that are very aggressive recruiting players - and how many of those players are not playing with the senior team?
“I just think it’s something that he has to think about because we have a lot of positive things happening here with the Republic of Ireland.
“I can only use Evan Ferguson as a prime example. We gave him his debut when he was 16 and now he’s playing with the senior team.
“I think that should be the north star for any player, to go and play senior international football.”
Crawford has yet to address the issue of England’s interest with the player, but hopes to do so after Ireland’s training camp in Austria.
A bout of tonsillitis, which ruled him out of last month’s senior training camp in Bristol, had already put his participation in this month’s camp in doubt.
Cannon made his Under-21 debut in the 2-1 win over Iceland in March and scored in the Turner’s Cross clash.
Crawford said: “I’ll talk to him again after this camp. I have a good relationship with Tom. He was in a long time ago to train with us before the very last campaign.
“Tom played for us in the Under-20s against the Irish amateur team, he came in. He had no qualms about it, he actually came in with a slightly tight groin and he was desperate to play.”
Cannon isn’t the only Ireland international to draw interest from elsewhere - former Drogheda United defender William Hondermarck received a call-up this month from Congo.
Born in France, Hondermarck moved to Ireland at the age of five and was called up last year to Crawford’s Under-21 squad but wasn’t capped.
He qualifies for the African nation through his mother and Crawford said: “When he came in with us in the 21s, we just had some really good players in that position and he couldn’t force his way in.
“But he has a great temperament and a real desire to become the best possible player he can be, and I think he will. I wish him the very best of luck if he decides to go with Congo.”
He added that more and more Irish-born or raised players would have big decisions to make in the future.
“It’s always going to be the case with dual nationality players. We’ve always been aware of it,” he said.
“Certainly from my own perspective, what we have got to do is make sure the programme we deliver with the 21s is something they buy into and enjoy. That’s really important.
“But ultimately the decision is up to the player.
“We can do everything we can for the player, we can make them feel as special as they want.
“I’m sure there are some countries who can say that we have done the same to them.
“So it’s just one of those things, there is no real answer for it, expect that when somebody comes into camp, you give them your full attention and time to help them become the best player they can be.
“That’s what we do in the Republic of Ireland set-up.”
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