REPUBLIC OF IRELAND manager Stephen Kenny is not worried that Swansea striker Michael Obafemi could play for another country after being left out of his squad announcement yesterday.
The forward rejected a call up for the u-21 team during the week and stated he only had eyes for the senior team.
He didn't make the final selection despite the rich vein of form at Swansea.
Kenny's reasons for not selecting Obafemi for the Belgium and Lithuania double-header later this month are due to injury concerns and overload
Stephen Kenny on Michael Obafemi:
“He is totally committed to Ireland and has reiterated that"
Good to hear 🇮🇪💚 pic.twitter.com/rMuoMgrv5h— IP🇮🇪⚽️ (@IrishPropaganda) March 18, 2022
"Michael is ambitious," he said. "
I think the best is still to come from him. He's shown his potential the last few weeks with Swansea.
"There was speculation about whether he would want to be part of Ireland in the future, speculation regarding Nigeria and all that type of stuff, but on the phone to me the other night he said, 'Stephen, I really want to play for Ireland... I just have to get myself right'.
"His reasons are sincere."
A rule change in 2020 by FIFA allows players to change the country they play for if they've played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to them turning 21.
Obafemi has just one cap to his name, and that was earned back in November 2018 against Denmark when Martin O'Neill was still in charge.
Nigeria-eligible Obafemi was 18 when he came off the bench against the Danes to make his debut so a switch to the Super Eagles would be possible, but Kenny squashed any suggestion the player is contemplating making such a decision.
Dublin , Ireland - 15 November 2020; Michael Obafemi of Republic of Irelandn (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)