It's a bit of a shame for Ireland and for Jack Grealish that the squad announcement for our biggest game of the year has revolved around a young man who's evidently not ready to make an important and difficult decision.
Martin O'Neill has said that he still feels there is a 'good possibility' that Grealish will make the decision to play for Ireland but today's somewhat haphazard press conference will have done little to calm fans fears that we'll be seeing him in an England jersey at some stage.
A senior FAI source had seemingly confirmed to some members of the media that Grealish would be included in today's. With the squad announcement set to kick off at midday, there was confusion following a delay in which it seems O'Neill may have been in contact with Grealish.
The nature of that conversation, if indeed it happened, is not yet known. All that was left for O'Neill was to name the squad minus Grealish and he confirmed that the intention had been to call him up. That intention was rebuffed by Grealish.
I spoke to his father and said that I wanted to pick him.
He didn't want to make a decision now. I would have liked to have had him training with us for the week ahead of England game, that's a disappointing aspect.
O'Neill was subsequently asked whether the delay in the press conference had to do with Grealish and some possible late contact, to which he simply responded 'not necessarily'.
