England star switches allegiance to Ireland for World Cup qualifiers

A former England Under-19 captain has been included in the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming World Cup play-off semi-final against the Czech Republic, as Heimir Hallgrímsson looks to bolster his side.

On Thursday (19 March), Hallgrímsson announced his squad for the upcoming clash, with Ireland set to take on the Czech Republic at the Fortuna Arena on 26 March.

Premier League stars Seamus Coleman, Caoimhín Kelleher, Jake O’Brien and Mark Travers were all included, while Troy Parrott also made the cut after scoring a hat-trick against Hungary in World Cup qualifying to guide Ireland to the play-offs against all odds.

Meanwhile, Hallgrímsson has also opted to select Queens Park Rangers star Harvey Vale, despite the 22-year-old previously representing England at youth level.

Vale, who came through the ranks at Chelsea before signing for QPR in the summer of 2025, previously captained England to European Under-19 Championship glory in 2022.

However, he is eligible to play for Ireland and holds an Irish passport.

Harvey Vale has represented England at youth level (Credit:Getty)

The Ireland boss revealed that he had been speaking to Vale for “over a year”, while also confirming that he has signed a contract extension through to Euro 2028.

Speaking at a press conference, the Icelander explained: “He expressed a desire to play for Ireland. He was injured then, so we have been watching him. His development at Queens Park Rangers has been growing, and it’s a perfect time to bring him into the squad.

“Good player, good person, hard-working guy, creator of chances and scorer of goals, so I’m looking forward to working with Harvey.”

The Ireland boss was also keen to stress that the squad may change before next Thursday’s crunch match in Prague.

Vale has registered three goals and two assists in 23 Championship appearances for QPR this term.

If Ireland progress from the tie with Czech Republic, they will enter Group A, where they would face co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.

The nation has not qualified for a World Cup since 2002, when Roy Keane infamously left the side’s training camp after a fallout with then manager Mick McCarthy in Saipan.

Two notable players who have switched allegiances between England and the Republic of Ireland are Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, both of whom chose to represent the Three Lions despite playing for Ireland at youth level. Rice even made three friendly appearances for the nation in 2018.