by Paul Gallagher
Amid the continued uncertainty over Clinton Morrison’s international allegiance, Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has stated that he will not be selecting the Crystal Palace striker for next month's friendly against Denmark.
The 21-year-old has been hedging his bets between the possibility of lining up for either one of the two countries. Last Friday the first division striker issued a come and get me style plea to the new England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, while at the same time announcing his eligibility to play for the Republic.
Although the striker is not in McCarthy’s immediate plans for the Republic, he did say that could change if the Morrison was to commit in the future.
Morrison qualifies to put on a green jersey through his Irish grandmother but amid all the recent speculation, the Eagles hit-man also announced his eligibility to play for Jamaica, putting in question his commitment to any one country.
Today’s decision by McCarthy - given his lack of striking options at present - will be viewed as a welcome one, certainly by the fans who saw Morrison’s intentions as making Ireland his second choice if England rejected him.
With his domestic club recently put out of both the FA Cup and Worthington Cup, added to the now unlikely possibility of an international call-up, Morrison may have to wait a little longer before he gets another chance to prove himself at the top level.