Latest Leicester City news from LeicestershireLive: striker discusses Republic of Ireland call-up after debut season with the Foxes Tom Cannon has brushed down talk that he would join Declan Rice and Jack Grealish in defecting to England as he prepares for his Republic of Ireland debut. The 21-year-old Liverpool-born Leicester City attacker has been chosen to interim manager John O’Shea’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Hungary and Portugal, after previously attracting England’s attention.
Cannon, who made 13 appearances for the Foxes in their Sky Bet Championship-winning season, qualifies through his grandparents and has represented Ireland at under-21 level, but turned down calls from Stephen Kenny during his time in command of the senior side and from O’Shea in March. The former Everton frontman stated, “I wouldn’t even say I was in two minds.” It was more of the situation that whenever I was called up to play for Ireland, I came. Previously, when call-ups came, I arrived here.
“Under Stephen Kenny, I got tonsillitis, so I couldn’t come to camp. When John O’Shea called me up the previous time, I was recovering from an injury and aimed to finish the season strong at Leicester.It everything happened at once, and I simply wanted to take a step back.” Anxiety in Ireland regarding Cannon’s future is reasonable, given that England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley contacted his agency. Rice earned three senior appearances for the Republic before switching allegiance to become a major component in Gareth Southgate’s England team, while Grealish played at under-21 level before deciding to represent his own nation after a lengthy courting by Martin O’Neill.
When asked if he had always been 100% dedicated to Ireland, Cannon replied, “Yes. It’s just that newspapers like to write stories and headlines about England. I have always been loyal to Ireland, which is why I am here.” When asked if he could have made his goals clearer to minimize confusion, he replied, “Maybe so, depending on how you look at it. England contacted my agent, and I stayed out of the situation because I did not want to get involved. I had plenty to focus on in club football, and I wanted to concentrate on that.”
As for Cannon’s club future, the jury is still out as Leicester City prepares for a summer of upheaval, including a management change and addressing player spending concerns ahead of a potential Premier League points deduction. Within hours of City winning the Championship, transfer speculations about Cannon began, with Preston and Blackburn reportedly interested in loaning him out. However, whether the 21-year-old stays at the King Power or leaves may not be resolved until the transfer market closes, when it will be evident where the Foxes stand heading into a potentially difficult season and what their new manager believes they will need to contend.
