Tom Cannon took some time to express his dedication to playing for either the Republic of Ireland Under-21s or the Ireland senior team. Despite scoring in an Ireland Under-21 friendly in March 2023, he has yet to participate in a competitive match for them, having turned down a couple of call-ups for reasons that were subject to dispute.
Speculation arose regarding Cannon’s potential abandonment of Ireland, but ahead of Tuesday’s senior international friendly against Hungary, the newly called-up player asserted that he never wavered in his international loyalties.
He dismissed rumors, stating, “Newspapers tend to fabricate stories and headlines about England. I have always been committed to Ireland, which is why I’m here. I wouldn’t even say I hesitated. Whenever I’ve been called up to play for Ireland, I’ve responded. Under Stephen Kenny, I had tonsillitis, so I couldn’t join the camp.”
Cannon gained attention by scoring eight goals in the latter half of the 2022/2023 season while on loan at Preston North End from Everton. Subsequently, he received an invitation to an Ireland senior training camp in Bristol. However, his absence was attributed to “tonsillitis,” although then-manager Stephen Kenny suggested Cannon was taking time to reflect.
His impressive goal-scoring ability attracted interest from Lee Carsley’s England under-21s, raising concerns that another dual-national prospect could be lost, similar to Jack Grealish and Declan Rice in the past.
When Cannon missed more Ireland under-21 fixtures, manager Jim Crawford was compelled to discuss the possibility of losing the Liverpool-born striker to England. Despite this, Cannon later opted for a permanent move to Leicester City but struggled to make an impact in their title-winning campaign.
Despite being approached by John O’Shea to feature in March friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland, Cannon decided to prioritize managing his body, given his ongoing recovery from an injury.
Reflecting on his decision-making process, Cannon explained, “It is something you do have to think about because of the scenario. It never really crossed my mind that I would have to choose one over the other. It was more about stepping back and evaluating the situation.”
Cannon, who also represented Ireland at under-19 and under-20 levels, reminisced about summers spent with his Irish family in Mayo and Galway.
“My dad’s side is from Castlebar, and my mom’s family is from Galway, Moycullen. Every summer, I would visit my dad’s side in Castlebar because that’s where my cousins live. We’d go over every summer.”
A debut against Hungary on Tuesday could make the summer of 2024 another memorable one for Tom and the entire Cannon family.
