Quote Originally Posted by Divine Wright View Post
Maybe this is worthy of a seperate thread but I was just wondering how the rest of you feel about players born outside wales representing the national team?

On the one hand I feel that international rules for citizenship are what they are and if your grandparent/s are of a certain nationality you can get citizenship for that reason. A lot of balkan countries do it with swiss nationals and the french with north african countries so why not us.

On the other hand, I have to admit to feeling a little bit got at when people level things like “ x number of english born players” and “You only get the english rejects”.

Personally I feel like grandparents who you might never have met is stretching it a little. I feel a lot more comfortable when they qualify through parent/s.

This is not a dig and I realise I have no authourity to question the nationality that someone identifies with. If they feel it, they feel it.
Personally I don't react to the digs in a negative way. Talksport may have said a few things after the Euros but as far as I remember Ashley Williams was first spotted when playing for Stockport County so it was a Swansea and Welsh education than helped develop his potential, and he says there are no questions about his kids cause they are definitely Welsh. Mostl dual-qualified players now are spotted in their teens (if not younger) so again go through a Welsh footballing education which develops that sense of identity and connection.

Historically, admittedly, there are examples of players in their mid/late twenties who have been picked because they fit a need and until that moment they probably don't consider themselves Welsh. Not so much a fan of that but cannot rule them out if they come to Wales later on in life. I guess you would have to have an honest conversation about whether they want to embrace that part of their identity or whether it's just cause whoever it is hasn't come knocking.