Wayne Rooney: England captain reveals Ireland offer
Wayne Rooney says he never considered playing for the Republic of Ireland and claims there will be no divided loyalties when he leads England out at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.
Rooney had the option to play for the Republic through his grandparents but says the possibility of wearing the green jersey never crossed his mind.
Rooney's grandparents are Irish and his wife Coleen, whose maiden name was McLoughlin, is also of Irish descent.
The couple's first son Kai embraced his Irish roots by donning a full Republic of Ireland kit on St Patrick's Day three years ago, but Rooney says all his loyalties lie with England.
"I am English through and through and I have no issue with trying to beat Ireland," the England striker said.
"I am playing for England and I want to help England win."
On the eve of Sunday's friendly against Ireland at the Aviva in Dublin, Rooney revealed that Lee Carsley, then his team-mate at Everton, tried to persuade him to turn his back on England.
"Lee Carsley asked me (on behalf of Republic boss Mick McCarthy) about it and it never crossed my mind," he said.
I am English through and through and I have no issue with trying to beat Ireland.
Wayne Rooney
"I have Irish grandparents, so if they wanted to play for Ireland I'm sure they could have, but it was never something I thought about.
"I was born in England, I'm English."
Rooney has also called on Jack Grealish to follow his example and pick England ahead of playing for the Republic of Ireland.
The Villa forward qualifies for the Republic through a grandfather who hails from County Dublin, but Rooney feels the fact that the 19-year-old was born in Solihull means he should opt for the country of his birth.
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The England captain said: "It's down to him, really. I'm a firm believer that the country you are born in is who you should play for, but the rules are the rules.
"It's down to him to make the decision, and better sooner than later."
England manager Roy Hodgson revealed on Saturday that Grealish has asked for talks with the Football Association about his international future.
"I believe that there have been discussions," the England manager said.
"I think Jack Grealish initiated some discussions with the FA. They were not initiated by me. I haven't spoken to him.
"He's still a young player with a very bright future either for England or Ireland, and he should make up his mind.
"Under the rules he can play for either country, so he has the choice. I'm sure that he and his family and representatives will make the decision which suits him and we won't put pressure on him, other than to say we'd be happy to have him in our ranks.
"He's a good player, but it's for him to decide where his loyalty lies."
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