England captain Wayne Rooney has revealed that he rejected the opportunity to represent the Republic of Ireland at international level.
The striker was eligible for the Boys in Green through his grandparents but, having been born in Liverpool, Rooney says that England was the only country for him.
Ahead of Sunday's friendly with Martin O'Neill's men in Dublin, the 29-year-old has said that former Everton teammate Lee Carsley, at the behest of then-Ireland manager Mick McCarthy, tried to convince him to don the green shirt.
"Lee Carsley asked me about it and it never crossed my mind," he told The Independent.
"I have Irish grandparents, so if they wanted to play for Ireland I'm sure they could have, but it was never something I thought about. I was born in England, I'm English."
Rooney also encouraged Aston Villa youngster Jack Grealish - who was born in Birmingham - to pledge his international allegiances to England, having snubbed an Irish call-up.
Shane Callaghan
