Mick McCarthy has insisted that Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford will need to call him if he wants to play for Ireland.
Bamford has represented England in youth football, but is yet to earn a senior cap for the Three Lions and he qualifies to represent Ireland in international football.
He was approached by Ireland boss McCarthy after he replaced Martin O’Neill as Ireland boss, but he has so far declined to commit to playing for the national team.
Bamford and McCarthy again spoke towards the end of the Championship season but the striker has delayed taking a call on whether to play for Ireland.
The Ireland manager indicated that he is tired of trying to convince the Leeds star and stressed if he wants to play for the side, the striker will need to call him about it.
“I’m not going chasing him anymore”, McCarthy was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“It was left on the back-burner and I think it’s up to Patrick.
“If he rings me up and he wants to play then yes.
"But let me ask you a question. If you’re an Irish player and you thought you were good enough to play for Ireland, what would you do?
"Would you pick the phone up? That’s what I did.
"If he wants to play he’s got to.”
Bamford was not part of the Ireland squad McCarthy picked for the Denmark and Gibraltar games.
