Former Ireland under-21 star set to accept Northern Ireland call-up

A former Irish underage footballer who has impressed with Scottish Premier League side Ross County looks set to switch his allegiance to Northern Ireland, with the Irish FA reportedly working with FIFA to confirm his international clearance .

Ronan Hale, 26, from Belfast, played for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s but is now set to be called up to the Northern Ireland senior squad after showing phenomenal form for Ross County earlier in this Scottish Premier League of the year.

The Belfast Telegraph originally reported that the IFA were working on an international move for Hale in August, with Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill revealing that he had also spoken to the striker in August and that the relevant documentation had been submitted to FIFA to make the movement happen.

Although Hale has expressed his desire to join the team, the lengthy process involved in switching international allegiances means that Hale may not be cleared in time for Northern Ireland’s upcoming Nations League clashes with Bulgaria and Belarus, in mid-October.

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Former Irish international Ronan Hale impresses in Scotland

As well as making appearances for the Republic of Ireland under-19s and under-21s, Hale spent time learning his trade at Derry City and St. Louis. The Belfast native began his professional career with a 31-game loan spell at Derry before joining transfer to NIFL team the Crusaders. After this, Hale moved to Inchicore, making ten appearances for the St. Pats and returning two goals for his efforts.

However, following his spell at St Pats, Hale returned to the NIFL playing with Larne and Cliftonville before moving to Ross County this season. There he is enjoying excellent form, with the former Cliftonville star scoring three goals in his first seven appearances of the season, including this cracker from last weekend’s game against Hearts.

Watch Ronan Hale’s ‘sensational’ curling attack for Ross County yesterday ⚽️⤵️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/jW4xkeZkKx

-BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) September 29, 2024

While there are still doubts within the IFA that Hale’s release will come before Northern Ireland’s Nations League games in mid-October, they are hopeful that everything will be in order for the second leg of those games in November.

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