Touchline Sport
Liam Delap has refused to rule out playing for the Republic of Ireland after Shay Given asked him directly about his international future on BBC’s Final Score.
The 23-year-old had just scored his first Nottingham Forest goal in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa when Given decided there wasn’t much point dancing around it.
“Any chance of playing for Republic of Ireland?”
Delap smiled before replying:
“I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Hardly a rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann, but he could’ve ended the conversation pretty quickly if he wanted to. He didn’t.
And this isn’t one of those eligibility stories that requires somebody to disappear into the family tree for three days.
Delap is Irish-qualified through his father Rory, who won 11 senior caps for Ireland after qualifying through his Irish parents. Liam has represented England from under-16 through to under-21 level and played in competitive youth internationals, including England’s victorious 2022 European Under-19 Championship campaign.
That does mean there’d be some paperwork involved. Because he’s already represented England in official competition, Delap couldn’t simply accept an Ireland call-up. A switch would have to go through FIFA’s formal change-of-association process before he could represent the Republic. He’s never played for England at senior level.
The FAI have been trying for a while.
Heimir Hallgrímsson met Delap in May 2025 alongside Rory and Ireland assistant John O’Shea to discuss the possibility of playing for Ireland.
“We have sat with him. Just told him we would love to have him in our camp.”
When Hallgrímsson was asked whether Delap had shown any interest, he gave a slightly less diplomatic answer.
“Well, he didn’t say f**k off.”
More than a year later, we’re still somewhere around there.
Delap’s club career hasn’t exactly stood still while Ireland have waited. He scored 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich Town in 2024/25, moved to Chelsea that summer and then joined Nottingham Forest in August on a five-year deal.
Reuters reported Forest paid £45 million, potentially rising by another £5 million, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.
Saturday brought his first Forest goal, just seconds after half-time at Villa Park, before Igor Jesus struck late to secure a 2-1 win. It was Forest’s first victory at Villa Park in 32 years.
First Forest goal, first win there since 1994 and half of Ireland suddenly discussing your international future. You’d take worse Saturdays.
For once, Ireland’s problem isn’t finding strikers either. Troy Parrott, Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah are already established senior options, Johnny Kenny is pushing his case and Mason Melia made his Ireland debut at just 18 earlier this year.
For years, Ireland kept checking the striker cupboard hoping somebody new might appear. Now there’s nearly a queue at the door.
If some of that depth could make its way to full-back and central midfield, that’d be lovely.
Delap would still be some addition. He’s 23, he’s already scored 12 goals in a Premier League season and Forest have just broken their transfer record to sign him. Having other good strikers is a nice problem to have, not a reason to stop asking.
Three words after a Premier League game obviously don’t mean Delap is about to turn up at Abbotstown in an Ireland tracksuit.
But Given gave him the chance to shut the door.
Delap left it open.
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