Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison is handing new England coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, the opportunity to poach his services from Mick McCarthy.
The promising Palace striker, whose recent run of form included a goal against Liverpool in the Worthington Cup semi-final, has narrowed his international options down to Ireland or England.
But Eriksson will need to act quickly to secure the 21-year-old's future for England, with Morrison claiming to have already been approached by Republic boss, McCarthy, contrary to last week's denial by the FAI on the matter.
Morrison, in an interview to be broadcast by BBC Radio 5 Live tonight, stressed that he needs to make his decision quickly because the Republic have an international friendly coming up against Denmark at the end of next month.
He said: "Mick McCarthy has contacted me and says he wants me there - so I will have to see what England are saying and then decide.
"Ireland have a friendly coming up, so it will be a hard decision. I will have to sit down and think about it.
"I have my heart set on Ireland or England. I would dearly like to play for England, but it is a hard decision to make at the moment.
"But it would be international football (with Ireland), and it looks as if they are going to the World Cup."
Morrison, who has an Irish grandmother, acknowledges he needs to be playing Premiership football if he is to be taken seriously as an international and added he is prepared to work hard to try to make the top flight with Palace.
If that plan does not work, though, he nominated champions Manchester United as the English club he would most like to play for. - PA