O'Neill says he is still hopeful of convincing Declan Rice to commit to Ireland
Monday 12 November 2018 14:43, UK
Martin O'Neill says he will not put pressure on Michael Obafemi to make a decision about his international future.
The 18-year-old Southampton striker has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly against Northern Ireland and their Nations League match in Denmark - both of which are live on Sky Sports.
While Obafemi has played for Ireland's age-group sides, he is still eligible for England and Nigeria, and will only be tied to one of those nations once he makes a competitive appearance.
O'Neill confirmed Obafemi has not yet decided where his international future lies, and says he will not rush the youngster to decide, saying: "He obviously has decisions to make for his future.
"That's something he would obviously discuss with his family. There'll be no real pressure on him to make that decision in the next couple of days.
"The last thing you want to do is be rushing someone into a situation if they're uncomfortable with it. I don't know if that's the case because I will speak to him this afternoon.
"If he has decisions to make, I will respect them."
However, when asked if Obafemi could tie himself to Ireland by playing against Denmark next week, O'Neill replied: "I don't think I could rule that out."
O'Neill was speaking for the first time since Declan Rice provided an update on his international future, saying he is still undecided over whether to play for Ireland or England.
O'Neill says he has not given up on convincing West Ham's Rice to commit to Ireland, saying: "I've always been hopeful but never anything more than that.
"That's very much down to the player. He has a lot of things to consider. He's definitely conflicted."
