Phil Jones

loads of french players were born in africa weren't they?

mark g

Barnes was born in Jamaica, but moved over here when very young. I don't know if he qualified through residency or parentage.

Philip Rolfe

One English, One Welsh. Born in Canada, had German residency.

Kill Rock Stars

really don't see what makes hargreaves more "english" than someone who's lived there for a length of time

poyplemonkeys

His blood?

Sir Bert Preast

Blood group: English?

ericcantona7

poyplemonkeys

It's not literally blood. LOL. Maybe it's just an expression where I'm from but people ask if I have English/Irish blood in me. As in are your parents English or Irish.

Sir Bert Preast

Good job. Otherwise we'd have loads of johnny foreigners flying in for blood transfusions in a weak attempt to become a part of ze master race.

SCIAG

Dave Kitson and James Harper have bth declined the countries their parents are from, because they don't feel like they actually come from there. Kitson turned down Ireland, who he was eligible for via his paternal grandfather, on the grounds that he didn't want to get in the way of real Irishmen. Harper's Mum was born in Ghana but left when she was 2. Harps has never been there.
My point is, why would players who have lived in a country for just a few years, have any reason to play for a country they hold a passport for? They would be in the way of Englishmen (or whoever) and they would actually have no real claim. Of course, if they'd lived there since they were 2 or whatever, that's different.