Dan Crowley says he’s formally requested to transfer his national allegiance from England to the Republic of Ireland, and he’d love a call-up to the side.
![Dan Crowley: I want to play for Ireland and I've requested a transfer from England 1 dan crowley](/static/uploads/2017/02/dan-crowley.jpg)
Crowley is finally starting to hit his stride as a senior footballer with Willem II, impressing in the Netherlands this season. The midfielder has six goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances, and he’s helped his team reach the final of the Dutch domestic cup competition.
That form might start drawing the attention of his national team, having last appeared in an international national match in 2015. However, that was for the England u19s, and Crowley says he now wants to play for Ireland.
“Ireland were the team I supported at the Euro 2016 finals,” the 21-year-old said (via TheIrishWorld). “I’ve kept in touch with the FAI scout, Mark O’Toole, over the years and he knows I’d love a call-up.
“I’ve asked the FAI to process the transfer. I’ll wait for my clearance to come through and would be delighted to be part of the Ireland squad for the Euro 2020 campaign if selected.
“Ireland was always the team I supported at international level. I was young at the time but I remember crying my eyes out when Spain won that penalty shoot-out at the 2002 World Cup.
“England is a country I love because I grew up there and my friends live there. I wore a lot of kits as a youngster but never owned an England kit.”
https://twitter.com/WillemII/status/1101468836438704128
As you can see above, Crowley was keen to make sure he had an Irish flag for his celebrations after that recent semi-final win with Willem II. Hopefully, his encouraging form will at least earn him another look, if not a call-up in the near future.
According to reports, the transfer process will take another two to four months, meaning Mick McCarthy won’t be able to name the midfielder in his squad for upcoming games against Gibraltar and Georgia. After that, we’ll have to wait and see.