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Ex-Scotland midfielder Pat Nevin on his father 'favouring' an international career with Ireland

With Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland looming on the horizon, former Tartan Army mi...
Newstalk
Newstalk

22.24 3 Jun 2015


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Ex-Scotland midfielder Pat Nev...

Ex-Scotland midfielder Pat Nevin on his father 'favouring' an international career with Ireland

Newstalk
Newstalk

22.24 3 Jun 2015


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With Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland looming on the horizon, former Tartan Army midfielder and Off The Ball Monday Night pundit Pat Nevin will be joining us and the likes of Paul McGrath and John Giles on stage at DCU's Helix tonight.

The upcoming fixture reminded us of something he had said on the show regarding his own Irish heritage before we played - and lost to - the Scots in November.

When the draw was initially made in February, a texter asked about the way Scottish fans would react to the likes of James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady, who were born and raised in Scotland, but chose Ireland at international level.

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Highlighting his own heritage, Pat, who ultimately played for the Scots, said: "I come from [an Irish] background and I had the option between the Republic or Scotland. My Dad strongly favoured that I played for Ireland. My parents would have been Ireland supporters more than Scotland supporters and I'm first generation Scotland. But that didn't make me anti-Irish."

In the week of the game, and in the wake of critical comments aimed at Ireland's Scottish-born contingent by ex-Scotland player Gordon McQueen, Pat also added.

"For my family and my background, it's a big, big thing.  There are members of my family who won't necessarily know who they would be supporting in this one and we've always had that kind of feeling. And there is that feeling in certain areas of the west of Scotland."


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