EVERTON midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has quashed rumours of a reported switch of international allegiance to Ireland.
The 27-year-old impressed for Everton this season after failing to nail down a regular starting spot at Chelsea last year following his move from Leicester City.
However, despite eight goals and four assists in 30 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, the uncapped player was one of the stars to miss out on Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup.
That led to online speculation that Dewsbury-Hall might declare for Ireland, being eligible by virtue of an Irish grandparent.
However, the Nottingham-born player has personally called out a claim online that he was about to make the switch.
A post on Twitter/X claimed on Saturday that Dewsbury-Hall had told Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson that he wanted to pledge his allegiance to the Boys in Green after Tuchel's squad announcement.
Quoting the post today, the player expressed his respect for Ireland but said the claim was 'just not true'.
"Massive respect to [Ireland] as I've previously stated, but I'm English & England is always the dream," he added.
?? Just not true. Massive respect to 🇮🇪 as I’ve previously stated, but I’m English & England is always the dream. https://t.co/UWv1nWNbAP
— Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (@KDH__8) May 27, 2026
Dewsbury-Hall has previously stated that while he had been courted by Ireland in the past, playing for England has always been his ambition and pulling on the jersey would be his 'proudest moment'.
While it is disappointing for Ireland to miss out on the player of Dewsbury-Hall's quality, it's admirable to see a player not switch allegiance merely to win international caps.
For the player, it must be similarly frustrating to see his commitment questioned when he is trying to force his way into Tuchel's thinking.
West Ham great Mark Noble similarly faced repeated speculation over a possible Ireland call-up, being eligible through his Cork-born parents.
The midfielder commendably suggested it would be hypocritical to play for Ireland when it had never been his ambition, while doing so could prevent a young Irish player from fulfilling a dream of representing his country.
Dewsbury-Hall was one of a number of players surprisingly overlooked by England manager Tuchel for this summer's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Amid intense competition in midfield and attack, others not on the plane included Chelsea's Cole Palmer, Manchester City's Phil Foden, Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen.
Defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, both Manchester United, and Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold also missed the cut.
The tournament gets underway on June 11 when Mexico host South Africa, with England's first game coming against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
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