Don't be an idiot, Jack

[Gullscorer]

Only English people should play football for England, says Arsenal's 21-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere. Asked about the issue, Wilshere said: "If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English."

Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj could play for England if he passes FIFA's five-year residency requirement, as he is yet to commit to another country. Midfielder Januzaj, 18, is also eligible for selection by Belgium, Serbia, Albania and Turkey. England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate said: “We have lots of boys in our squad who were not born here, whose families have fled here.”

Absolutely right. Are you listening Jack? The world is all mixed up these days. People move around the planet, for many reasons, but mainly to better their lives. Which is probably why you signed up for Arsenal, Jack. People have a right to live, work, and play, wherever they happen to settle in the world. Taking your argument to its logical conclusion, since you were born in Stevenage you should only ever play for Stevenage, certainly not Arsenal!

So if somebody settles in this country, takes British citizenship or indefinite residency, and happens to be a talented footballer, if he meets the criteria we should be proud to have him represent his chosen country on the football pitch. And if that makes for healthier competition for a young home-grown Arsenal footballer, so much the better. Or is that perhaps what your problem is Jack? If you maintain that attitude and if I were the England manager, I would drop you from the squad.

Don't be an idiot, Jack.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I think we have had a thread like this before when I said it is not where you are born but where you as an individual feel your passion and loyalties lie. My example perhaps goes against the grain as I would choose to play for a crap team even if I was given an opportunity to play for a good one. Like Messi for example turning down Barcelona to play for Brighton because he loved Brighton.

I am an Englishman by birth but have Austrian heritage which I feel passionate about and so my choice if I had one would be to play for Austria even if England said they wanted me. I couldn't play for England because I feel nothing for them inside. That is why it really p*sses me off when players who even have represented England at younger levels choose to play for Ireland or Wales or some other minor nation just because one of their great grandparents were from there and they know they'll get a game. How can they play with passion and pride when it is not in their hearts? It is unacceptable.

I also believe that EVERY player in EVERY country should know the national anthem and sing it with pride before the game. None of this mumbling bull you see from a lot of players. If you are that proud then puff your chests out and belt it out like some of these Eastern Europeans do. It gives you a competitive edge I have no doubts.

In terms of the Wilshere thing my opinion is that if someone meets the criteria laid down then I've no problem with that. If someone born and raised in Poland say but who has lived in England for 8 years qualifies to play for England then fine, we just have to trust that players are doing it for the right reasons ie the sense of passion in their hearts otherwise they are half the men they should be.

[usagullmichigan]

Can we have whip round to help move Andy to Austria lol. On a serious note Andy....why live in England if you love Austria so much?

[usagullmichigan]

Only English people should play football for England, says Arsenal's 21-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere. Asked about the issue, Wilshere said: "If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English."

Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj could play for England if he passes FIFA's five-year residency requirement, as he is yet to commit to another country. Midfielder Januzaj, 18, is also eligible for selection by Belgium, Serbia, Albania and Turkey. England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate said: “We have lots of boys in our squad who were not born here, whose families have fled here.”

Absolutely right. Are you listening Jack? The world is all mixed up these days. People move around the planet, for many reasons, but mainly to better their lives. Which is probably why you signed up for Arsenal, Jack. People have a right to live, work, and play, wherever they happen to settle in the world. Taking your argument to its logical conclusion, since you were born in Stevenage you should only ever play for Stevenage, certainly not Arsenal!

So if somebody settles in this country, takes British citizenship or indefinite residency, and happens to be a talented footballer, if he meets the criteria we should be proud to have him represent his chosen country on the football pitch. And if that makes for healthier competition for a young home-grown Arsenal footballer, so much the better. Or is that perhaps what your problem is Jack? If you maintain that attitude and if I were the England manager, I would drop you from the squad.

Don't be an idiot, Jack.

Jack is obviously uneducated. Owen Hargreaves was brilliant for England yet he's canadian.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Can we have whip round to help move Andy to Austria lol. On a serious note Andy....why live in England if you love Austria so much?

I don't hate England USA, I used to when I was younger but now I've accepted that there are knobheads and problems everywhere you go in Europe and so Austria is not that much better. There are just less knobheads than over here that's all.

I can't live in Austria because I am not a strong enough person to make such a massive jump with myself and my family and also I have no money.

England has some beautiful places and unique and unusual places and I love it. I just get annoyed with the chavs and politicians and being ripped off everywhere you go, it always seems worse over here.

[usagullmichigan]

I don't hate England USA, I used to when I was younger but now I've accepted that there are knobheads and problems everywhere you go in Europe and so Austria is not that much better. There are just less knobheads than over here that's all.

I can't live in Austria because I am not a strong enough person to make such a massive jump with myself and my family and also I have no money.

England has some beautiful places and unique and unusual places and I love it. I just get annoyed with the chavs and politicians and being ripped off everywhere you go, it always seems worse over here.

I hear you. I miss the beautiful places of England but the chavs....no way. The whole youth system in England is screwed. I have lived in California and Michigan and have found the kids in the states to be far more polite, trustworthy and helpful than back home.

[usagullmichigan]

And on moving....It doesn't cost as much as you may think, just take the plunge and do it.

[chunkygull]

sorry but you should only be able to represent and play for any country if you were born there or your parents (mum and dad only) are from there.

it just becomes farcical after that and there is no way players under other circumstances will be playing for that country other than a more realistic chance of glory or just the chance of an international game. there is no way they would have anywhere near or if at all the same pride and passion that those who had more of a connection have.

mind you there are plenty of england players that dont seem to give a $h1t at all.

does anyone really think the likes of Adnan Januzaj would really give a toss about england after living here for a few years and then playing for them. to be fair he has already said he wants to play for belgium, but his family, his dad especially are adamant he should play for albania. i dont know why this issue has even been made a thing of, because its not going to happen.

look at the republic of ireland sides from the late 80's and through the 90's, hardly any claim for a lot of the players and everybody took the pi$$ out of it. it has recently been revealed that tony cascarino who played for ireland many times didnt really have any connection to ireland at all.

[usagullmichigan]

The problem is if we stick to the rule on born english in 20 years time the whole England team will look like team Taliban.

[TUFC4EVER]

I hear you. I miss the beautiful places of England but the chavs....no way. The whole youth system in England is screwed. I have lived in California and Michigan and have found the kids in the states to be far more polite, trustworthy and helpful than back home.

Yet, carry gun's (As do most people over there), are vastly over weight and know nothing outside of America.

[chunkygull]

andy, how come if you were born in england you feel nothing for it and more for your austrian heritage? how close is the austrian connection?

not a dig, just curious to know.

i have a mate who has a scottish mum, when we were kids he was all about scotland, he supported the football team and raved about how great scotland is and he is scottish and not english.

he was born in torbay hospital and his dad was from paignton. :-o

he had only ever been to scotland twice, once when he was 3.

he always got the new scotland shirts and wore them all the time, he even had a few of those vile, lairy away ones that they had in the early 90's. :no:

all of a sudden when he got a bit older he turned english and wore england shirts, passionately supported the england football team and denied everything he had gone on about with regards to scotland. he still is english.

it seems to me like a lot of people he chose something that was different to everybody else so he wasnt like all the rest. we were all english so he decided because of the connection through his mum he would be scottish to be different to the rest of us. then he grew up. :~D

[Plymouth Gull]

I don't hate England USA, I used to when I was younger but now I've accepted that there are knobheads and problems everywhere you go in Europe and so Austria is not that much better. There are just less knobheads than over here that's all.

I can't live in Austria because I am not a strong enough person to make such a massive jump with myself and my family and also I have no money.

England has some beautiful places and unique and unusual places and I love it. I just get annoyed with the chavs and politicians and being ripped off everywhere you go, it always seems worse over here.

The lifestyle in Austria is a thousand times better than over here.

[oldpedant]

The problem is if we stick to the rule on born english in 20 years time the whole England team will look like team Taliban.

So white and foreign is ok, but black and English is not? A bit racist isn't it?

[Gullscorer]

So white and foreign is ok, but black and English is not? A bit racist isn't it?

I think that's the point he was making..

[usagullmichigan]

How is that racist? I don't care what colour your skin we are all pink on the inside.