Chris Martin for Scotland

[bjg123 0]

According to the BBC gossip column Lambert is urging Craig Levein to call him up! Didn''t know he was eligible. Would be good for the club though, just get Holt called up for England next!

[NCFC_Thain 0]

Remember there being something about Grant trying to get him a call up when he was manager.

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="NCFC_Thain"]Remember there being something about Grant trying to get him a call up when he was manager.[/quote]

His grandfather is Scottish, so he could. but is he good enough ?his grandad I mean

[southstand 0]

I know Sotland scored two goals for Ipswich in the snow yesterday but a straight exchange for Chris Martin would not be good business - throw in Roy Keane and we might have a deal - LOL

[Herman 11,136]

Didn''t he play for England youth?

[Woman in the Stands (WITS) 0]

[quote user="Herman "]Didn''t he play for England youth?[/quote]I''m sure I read on another thread when a similar situation arose for another former youth international that the country of choice for senior level can be different to that of youth level. Please would someone in the know confirm or correct, thanks.

[Bradwell Yellow 0]

WITS, you are correct.

Chris Martin has represented England upto U19? level and has not been within touching distance of the senior national team.

Therefore, his Scottish grandfather makes him eligible for the Scotland senior side.

[bjg123 0]

"I''m sure I read on another thread when a similar situation arose for another former youth international that the country of choice for senior level can be different to that of youth level. Please would someone in the know confirm or correct, thanks"

The rule, I believe goes like this:

You can play international youth football for whoever you''re eligible for, and can then change nations at senior level, but only to a nation you were eligible for before you made your first international youth appearance. So Chis is fine to play for Scotland.

This means (aside from the gentleman''s agreement) that Mikel Arteta is not eligible to play for England because he represented the Spanish youth teams before gaining English citizenship.

[Woman in the Stands (WITS) 0]

Thanks Adam and bjg for confirming my uncertainty on this matter.Makes a pleasant change to be right in a footballing capacity [:D]

[Herman 11,136]

Nice one,learned something new[Y]

[Bradwell Yellow 0]

Speaking of Mikel Arteta, would anyone have welcomed him for England?

[William Darby 0]

Wednesday, 1 September 2010 19:01 UK

Fifa rule ends Mikel Arteta''s England ambitions

Arteta has never played for Spain at senior level

Mikel Arteta''s hopes of playing for England look likely to end in failure because of a little known Fifa rule.

Born

in Spain, the 28-year-old Everton midfielder had hoped to qualify for

England after completing five years residency in the United Kingdom.

However,

because Arteta has played for Spain at junior level, he would have had

to have held a British passport at the same time in order to be

eligible.

"Our understanding is he is ineligible to play," say the Football Association.

Article

18.1.a within the Fifa statutes outlines that any player who has

represented their country in an official competition, at whatever level,

would at that time need to have held a passport for the country they

later wish to play for in order to be permitted to make the switch.

Arteta played for Spain in the Under-16 European Championships and then in the FIFA World Championships at Under-17 level.

Areteta joined Everton on loan in 2005 from Real Sociedad in Spain

before signing permanently a year later. He also had a two-year spell at

Rangers and started his career at Barcelona.

Only last month Arteta, who has never played for Spain at senior level, said he would consider a call-up to play for England.

Earlier

this week, the FA stressed they had not been asked to investigate the

matter by England manager Fabio Capello, although it was thought the

England coach had spoken briefly to Arteta.

[NCFC_Thain 0]

Exactly right bjg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8961817.stm

[Lewie - Holt Our Saviour 0]

You can play at youth for one country and play at senior level with a different country.Take Frederick Kanoute for example:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Kanout%C3%A9

[bjg123 0]

Lewie - think that point was comprehensively answered above - there are certain criteria which mean you can''t.

Anyway, I''d be excited if he did get a call-up, he''s probably going to be good enough to ever play for England and some international football could really help him push on as a player, get him used to playing against good defences and hopefully give him more confidence in his ability.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Herman "]Didn''t he play for England youth?[/quote]he did.. so did Ryan giggs.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

Techinically Ryan Giggs played for England schoolboys as he went to school in England, he has never been eligible to play for any other England side including the U19 side Martin represented.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Adam_2010"]Speaking of Mikel Arteta, would anyone have welcomed him for England?[/quote]He can take a good free kick but is slow, injury prone and doesn''t track back. So yes, he would improve the England team 100%.

[hogesar 10,771]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="Adam_2010"]Speaking of Mikel Arteta, would anyone have welcomed him for England?[/quote]

He can take a good free kick but is slow, injury prone and doesn''t track back. So yes, he would improve the England team 100%.

[/quote]

[:D][:D]