Clinton Morrison, Crystal Palace's 21-year-old striker, is eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland and had a preliminary conversation on the subject with Mick McCarthy yesterday. McCarthy described Morrison's response as positive and it is now up to the Football Association of Ireland to approach Morrison officially.

London-born, Morrison qualifies for the Republic through an Irish grandmother, but he is also eligible to play for England and Jamaica.

"I have spoken to him and registered my interest," said McCarthy last night. "I was trying to do it in a quiet manner but now the media hype will take it on and he will be put under pressure to make a decision now. I have known about his grandmother for a while.

"He was pleased that I phoned him. I explained to him that we don't have that many strikers and I said to him that potentially it could be good for him and us."

Morrison's agent Neil Fewings said that the player is interested in declaring for the Republic. "It's an exciting possibility," said Fewings, "if it comes to pass. As yet no approach has been made by any association, so we'll have to wait and see. But for the last few days Clinton has been feeling very Irish."

Morrison has been Palace's top scorer for the past two seasons and his goal against Liverpool in the League Cup semifinal first leg on Wednesday took his recent tally to 11 in the last 14 games - 16 for the season - provoking comparisons with the former Palace centre-forward Ian Wright.

Like Wright, Morrison may end up at Highbury soon if Arsene Wenger's presence at Selhurst Park on Wednesday was anything to go by, and Morrison certainly displayed the same confidence as Wright when he said after the Liverpool game: "To play against Michael Owen and Emile Heskey was a great feeling. To upstage them was even better. I was looking at all the opportunities Owen had and was wishing I could have had some of them. I would have put at least two away."

Wednesday night and yesterday's call from McCarthy are the latest evidence of the huge turnaround in Morrison's season. He had been one of the Palace players placed on the transfer list after a poor start to the season. Since then, however, Palace have climbed the table and all those interested in Morrison's progress will be able to judge on Sunday when Palace's match with Nottingham Forest is live on satellite television.