Irish family members of England’s all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane hope Evan Ferguson could be Ireland’s answer to the English super striker.
Kane (30), whose grandparents come from Galway and Limerick, has bagged a record 59 goals in 85 matches for England.
Evan Ferguson (18), from Bettystown in Meath, scored a hat-trick for Premier League club Brighton before missing Ireland’s defeats to France and the Netherlands due to injury.
READ MORE: Gareth Southgate breaks silence on possibility of Evan Ferguson playing for England
Kane could’ve played for Ireland, but chose England, the country of his birth, while Ferguson, who could’ve played for England through his English mum, chose to play for the Boys In Green.
Harry’s cousin Pat Fitzgerald (63) told the Irish Mirror: “I saw Ferguson scoring the hat-trick the last day before he pulled out of the Ireland games.
“There was talk he could’ve gone the other way [to England] but he has too many matches played for Ireland, thankfully. So it can’t happen.
“I’m happy he’s staying in the Ireland set-up, all right. We’ve lost too many going over [to England]. I don’t think Harry was asked to play for Ireland. But Jack Grealish was and Declan Rice had a good chance as well. We’re a small country.
“Feguson was brought up in Ireland and he’s a nice footballer. We need them all. It’s hard to know the similarities between him and Harry. He’s still young and learning his game.
“It will be great if he keeps going the way he is. People have made comparisons with Harry, so we’ll see. He will be grand for Ireland. It would be great for the country and for the young lad if he turns out to be anything as good as Harry Kane.”
Harry could have played football for Ireland thanks to a Limerick grandmother and a Galway grandfather.
He put family heartache aside when he led England out at Wembley for the Euro 2020 Final – the country’s first final since 1966 - just days after the death of his grand uncle Paudge Kane.
Paudge was a brother of Harry's late Galway granddad Michael John Kane, who moved to England in the 1950s.
Before the final, which Italy won on penalties, Harry’s cousin Pat said Harry’s grandmother Theresa Fitzgerald would be looking after him from heaven.
Pat’s aunt Theresa Fitzgerald was Harry’s grandmother. Theresa left rural Caherline in Caherconlish, Co Limerick, and emigrated to England where she married Harry’s Galway granda Michael John Kane.
Theresa’s grandfather Jim Flood – who is Harry’s great-great granda – was an All-Ireland winner who helped Limerick to a first senior hurling title in 1897.
Harry’s granda Michael John Kane maintained a close link with Letterfrack and Tullycross and often visited with Harry’s dad Pat and Harry.
When fluent Irish speaker Michael John died in 2013, he was buried back in Connemara with famous grandson Harry at the funeral.
Just before Euro 2020, Harry’s Galway cousin Liz Kane, from Letterfrack, revealed that he sent a good luck video message to exam pupils at Clifden Community School.
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