Jack Grealish: English FA to push Ireland for services of the dual-nationality Aston Villa player

The 19-year-old was superb in Aston Villa's semi-final triumph over Liverpool

(GETTY IMAGES)

The English Football Association will push its Irish counterparts all the way for the services of the dual-nationality Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish who will be eligible for the England Under-21s following this summer’s European championships.

Grealish, 19, is yet to commit his future to the Republic of Ireland despite having played in the Irish Under-21s qualification campaign, and at every level from the Under-15s on through the junior ranks. It is understood that so far the English FA have inquired about the possibility of Grealish playing for Aidy Boothroyd’s Under-20s team who will feature in the Toulon tournament at end of May.

Grealish’s stand-out performance in Villa’s FA Cup semi-final win on Sunday over Liverpool demonstrated what rapid progress he has made under Tim Sherwood. Under Paul Lambert, the club were considering sending him out on another loan spell, this time to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers but he has flourished with the confidence his new manager has shown him in.

Jack Grealish in action at Wembley (GETTY IMAGES)

Grealish cannot play for another Under-21s team until the new cycle in that age group begins in the autumn. He was named Ireland’s Under-21s player of the year at an awards ceremony in Dublin last month but, speaking at the event, was vague about his intentions in the future. He said that he had told Under-21s coach Noel King that he was taking a “year out” to concentrate on his club form but would be back in contention in September.

Martin O’Neill has said that the player will not be selected for the senior squad for the big Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland in June, which is also preceded by a friendly against England in Dublin. Ideally, for the English FA it would have Gareth Southgate select Grealish for the Under-21s’ first 2017 European championship qualifier, away to Norway on 7 September.

From then on the expectation is that the teenager, who turns 20 later that same month, would begin to challenge for the senior team. Hodgson could end the debate by calling up Grealish for the final Euro 2016 qualifier of the season against Slovenia on 14 June but is unlikely to do so. He has said in the past that he prefers dual-nationality players to commit to an England career.