Tom Cannon, raised in Aintree and currently playing for Leicester City as a striker, has confirmed his intention to represent the Republic of Ireland in football. This comes despite having been approached by England’s under-21 coach, Lee Carsley, last year. “I’ve never had a moment of doubt,” said Cannon, looking forward to Tuesdays friendly against Hungary in Dublin. “Whenever Ireland calls me, I answer. Even when I’ve been summoned before, I’ve always shown up. The only exception was when I was ill with tonsillitis in June 2023 under Stephen Kenny’s watch, which obviously prevented me from joining the squad.”
Stephen Kenny divulged last summer that the Football Association had contacted Tom’s agent, Kenny Moyes – brother to ex-West Ham United manager David Moyes – with a proposal for changing his football loyalties. Cannon confirmed Carsley’s approach to Moyes during a recent training session in Abbotstown, Ireland.
Cannon, who is just 21 years old, didn’t hesitate when asked whether his commitment to the Irish team was unwavering, citing media speculation over his allegiance to England as unfounded. He assured the media, “While there is truth in the claim that England approached me, my action speaks louder. I haven’t talked to anyone, as I’m content here. The journey so far has been pleasurable, I’ve loved getting to know my new teammates, some of which I already knew from prior clubs. It’s nice to be part of this team.”
While Cannon acknowledged that Carsley did contact his agent, he expressed that he never had any conversation with either Carsley or Gareth Southgate. He said, “Such situations do require careful consideration, but choosing one side over the other was never a thought that crossed my mind. I’ve simply tried to look at the situation objectively and proceed accordingly.”
In a similar fashion to Declan Rice’s comments in 2018 dismissing rumours of a possible switch to play for England after his third game with Ireland as “total rubbish”, Cannon has echoed these sentiments. Since those initial remarks, Rice has represented England in 50 matches. Now manager, Carsley only reached out to Moyes subsequent to Cannon making his scoring debut for the Ireland under-21s against Iceland in March of 2023.
Later in 2023, the FAI engaged in discussions with Carsley, an individual with 40 caps for Ireland, to step in as the successor to Kenny as the national team’s coach. Cannon remarked on a previous call-up by John O’Shea stating that it occurred whilst he was recovering from an injury and his concentration was on maintaining his form at Leicester and completing the season.
Cannon became a subject of social media hostility when there were hints last year of him possibly switching allegiance between Ireland and England, an idea he adamantly denies. He was suggested to make a succinct declaration of commitment to Ireland last year as a possible solution.
Cannon reflected: “There was the option to defuse the situation by issuing a statement, but I preferred to let people think what they want and chose not to respond. Although perhaps I should have addressed it, but it didn’t seem right at the time.”
He further mentioned getting tonsillitis around the time when Stephen made his remarks. It was also during this period when England reached out through his agent. However, Cannon maintained his stance of not becoming part of all this and instead decided to focus on his club football.
Last September, Cannon’s move from Everton to Leicester for €8.8 million hasn’t borne fruit yet, with the injury-plagued forward scoring only three times in a mere 13 games. Despite his performance, Leicester managed to clinch the EFL Championship with Jamie Vardy, the seasoned English forward, bagging 18 goals.
In order to be completely “tied” to Ireland according to the existing FIFA regulations, he is required to participate in at least “three games at the ‘A’ international level… in an authorised or informal match”. This implies that if Cannon makes his first appearance against Hungary and then plays against Portugal on the 11th of June, he will irrevocably commit to Ireland after he faces England in the Nations League match on September 7th.
His hope is to play against England and get as many caps as possible. He dreams of making his debut against either Hungary or Portugal, to demonstrate to the fans of Ireland his abilities. He is eager to showcase his commitment and his desire to represent Ireland. He is very much excited about these upcoming two games and what they could bring for him.