Many Ireland fans harbor a paranoia about selecting English-born players, fearing that if they perform well, they’ll abandon Ireland to play for their country of birth. Tom Cannon aims to dispel such concerns.
The Leicester City forward was chosen for his first Republic of Ireland senior squad after two impressive seasons. A product of Everton’s academy, Cannon made a significant impact at Preston North End in the 2022/23 season, scoring eight goals in the latter half and joining the Ireland U21 squad. He netted a goal on his U21 debut and garnered considerable interest. Last summer, he made an €8.8 million move to Leicester City, around which time rumors surfaced about England possibly approaching Cannon to play for their U21s.
Stephen Kenny wanted to call up Cannon last summer, but he was sidelined with tonsillitis. With the FA allegedly making an approach, it felt like déjà vu for Ireland fans. However, Cannon has committed his future to the Republic of Ireland and reassured the media that England wasn’t on his mind.
“I would not even say I was in two minds. When called up to play for Ireland, I have always come. When call-ups came, I arrived here. Under Stephen Kenny, I had tonsillitis in June 2023, so obviously, I couldn’t join the camp. I’ve always been 100% committed to Ireland; it’s just that newspapers create stories and headlines about England. That’s why I’m here.”
While Cannon didn’t deny the FA’s approach, he clarified that discussions occurred between his agent and England U21 manager Lee Carsley.
“There is some truth in an approach from England; my agent received a call. I never had any conversations with anyone. I’m happy to be here. It’s been great since I arrived, meeting all the new lads. It’s been class. I knew a few from previous clubs, so it’s been nice to see them. Lee Carsley spoke to my agent, but I didn’t speak to Carsley or Gareth Southgate.”
Cannon admitted considering the scenario but emphasized it never led to a dilemma of choosing one over the other.
“You do have to think about it, but it never really entered my head as a situation where I had to pick one over the other. It was more about stepping back and assessing the situation.”
When initial reports emerged, Cannon faced significant backlash online but chose not to engage, focusing instead on club football.
“Maybe it was best to let it be. People believe what they want to believe. I saw it on my phone and felt it was best not to react. It would have created more of a fuss. Maybe I should have said something, but it wasn’t my place. Stephen said what he said, but at the same time, I was ill with tonsillitis. England got in touch with my agent, and I stayed out of it. I didn’t want to get involved, as I had enough to focus on with club football.”
Regardless of previous reports, Cannon has committed to Ireland, eager to start his international career positively with the upcoming friendlies against Hungary and Portugal later this month.
