Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:41 pm
JoeTerp wrote:Arteta is probably just as "English" and Owen Hargreaves (born in Canada, played most his career in Germany, FFS according to UEFA Champions roster rules, Fabregas is "English" and Hargreaves is "German")
It's completely different Joe.
Hargreaves parents (or at least one of them) are English. Similarly Aiden McGeady who was born and bred in Scotland has two Irish parents and has opted to play for Ireland.
For the sake of argument, if I was English, my wife was English and I had a son who happened to make it as a top footballer, I would also see him as English even if I had to bring him up in another country due to work commitments or otherwise. He should therefore have the option of playing for England imo.
It is absolute nonsense comparing Hargreaves to the Arteta situation, Arteta is Spanish, simple as that, and no law should exist that allows him to be eligible for England.