WOLVES MIDFIELDER JAMIE O’HARA has said he is “definitely interested” in playing for the Republic of Ireland despite having already been capped at under 21 level for England.

O’Hara, who despite having an incredibly Irish sounding name was in fact born and raised near London, says that if the call came he would definitely be interested in playing for the Republic.

Under FIFA rules, O’Hara would be eligible to switch his allegiances to Ireland provided he is not capped at senior level for England which has so far not been the case. He has seven caps at under 21 level.

The 24-year-old says his Irish family in Wicklow have been trying to convince him to make the switch. He told Talksport:

I’m not sure if I can play but I’m definitely interested. I’ve got a big Irish family and they’re always phoning me up saying come and play for Ireland.

So if I get the phone call, it’s something I’d look at.

According to the Irish Independent, Giovanni Trapattoni has previously stated his admiration for the midfielder, who is currently on loan at Wolves from Tottenham.