Clinton Morrison outlines why Jack Grealish was wrong to turn down chance of playing for Ireland

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The Aston Villa midfielder chose to swear his allegiance to England despite progressing as an Irish youth international.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish applauds the fans at the end of the match

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in action

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish during the warm up session before the game

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish applauds the fans at the end of the match

Former Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison has told RTE that Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was wrong to choose England because it has seen him miss out on the passion and loyalty of the Irish supporters.

Grealish played for the country of his grandparents at under-17s, under-18s, and under-21s level before deciding to pledge his allegiance to the Three Lions in September.

At the time of his decision, the young Villa man was threatening to continue his sparkling form of the latter half of last season, but he faded as the campaign wore on and found himself largely on the fringes at Villa Park.

While a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2016 was never a realistic possibility, Morrison seems to believe that may not have been the case had he chosen to wear green rather than white.

The 37-year-old, who scored nine goals in 36 Ireland caps, told RTE that Grealish had not only given up the chance to feature at the Euros with his decision, but that he had also turned away the “brilliant” Irish support.

Morrison said: “I think Jack Grealish has made the wrong decision. He could have been at the Euros. He should come and play here for Ireland. They have the best fans you could ever play for, a good management team and they’ve got good players.

“When I first declared to play for Ireland the fans always took to me. They’re probably the best fans I’ve ever played in front of. They’ll always get behind their players.

“Even when you’re not having such a good time they’ll never turn on the team. They’re brilliant.”

Ireland are a country with a talented squad and it should not be assumed that Grealish would necessarily have earned a place in Martin O’Neill’s group had be declared for the nation.

However, watching the dramatic manner in which they qualified for the tournament and the passion with which the fans support the side, he could be forgiven for wondering whether his choice was the right one.