Soccer

Disappointment but respect from NI boss Baraclough about Mark Sykes's switch

Mark Sykes (left) with new Northern Ireland senior manager Ian Baraclough during their time with the NI U21s.
Mark Sykes (left) with new Northern Ireland senior manager Ian Baraclough during their time with the NI U21s. Mark Sykes (left) with new Northern Ireland senior manager Ian Baraclough during their time with the NI U21s.

OXFORD gone, Oxford on. It didn’t require the intelligence of an Oxford don to anticipate that new Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough would be “very, very disappointed” about Mark Sykes’s change of international allegiance to the Republic of Ireland.

However, the manager also voiced his “respect” for the talented 23-year-old, and expressed the hope that Sykes's new Oxford United (and former Glenavon) club-mate Joel Cooper will benefit from the opportunity offered by being called up to the senior squad.

Sykes told his club wesbite: “It was a really difficult decision. I genuinely wish Northern Ireland all the best and know they will do well under their new manager, who I have worked with before and really like.

“The last few weeks have given me time to think about things and I have to do what my heart says.

“The Republic of Ireland are the team I have always dreamed of playing for and I have to try my best to achieve that. I am proud to have been involved with the Northern Ireland team, and have always given it my all, but I had to make a choice and it had to be now.”

Apart from 24-year-old winger Cooper and his former Linfield team-mate Shayne Lavery, the NI panel for the Nations League matches against Romania and Norway next month has a very familiar look to it.

Yet the absence of a player who – obviously – hasn’t even made a competitive senior appearance was clearly always going to be the main talking point after that news broke on Sunday of his proposed switch.

That development was a shock even to Baraclough, who had worked with Sykes at U21 level, selecting him for 11 appearances at that level.

Sykes would have been included in this squad, his fourth such involvement at senior level, but the Belfast man has decided to throw his lot in with the Republic’s new era under Stephen Kenny instead.

Baraclough, who confirmed that he spoke to Kenny at the weekend, and that the Republic boss had previously spoken to Sykes, said at yesterday morning’s scheduled squad announcement press conference:

“The player rang me. Respect to him for picking up the phone but it was disappointing to hear from him. Subsequently, there were many phone calls over the weekend to try and speak to him and encourage him to think more about his decision but we think his mind’s made up.

“We have to move on. I want players who want to play for Northern Ireland and are fully committed 100 per cent. That’s what we’re going to focus on.”

Asked if the Irish Football Association needs to do anything differently to avoid further switches, Baraclough replied:

“There’s been a lot of talk in the past about it, there have been a lot of discussions, be it with UEFA, FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but they are the rules as it stands at the moment.

“We don’t particularly agree with them, but unless that changes, it’s something we have to deal with.

“It’s a decision Mark has made. He’s thought about it and made the decision and we have to move on from it and Joel Cooper is someone who is going to benefit from that.

“He was someone who was on the fringes of the squad anyway and he was someone I was looking at last season when he was with Linfield, in my capacity in speaking to Michael [O’Neill] and he was mentioned for future squads.

“It’s probably come earlier than he expected but he’s got his chance off the back of this and for me, that’s the story today and hopefully it’s the start of a fantastic senior career for someone like Joel Cooper.”

Fifa has proposed amendments to its regulations regarding eligibility and changes of allegiance, to be ratified at its annual congress next month, yet it does not appear that they will alter the current situation regarding the two Irish teams.

Although his predecessor O’Neill had said his main issue was with teenagers being influenced to change their international allegiance, Baraclough still voiced unhappiness at 23-year-old Sykes doing so:

“For me personally, I’m very, very disappointed that he’s come through the system, he’s been in three [senior] squads and for that amount of time another young player may have had the opportunity to come through the system and he may have just taken that opportunity away.

“I don’t think the system lends itself to the way we want to go but we have to work through that and it has given someone like Joel Cooper and opportunity to begin his international career. I think it’s one he will grasp with both hands.”

Ballyclare man Cooper has already enjoyed some senior squad experience, having been brought in to training camp at Euro 2016, and the 24-year-old will hope to establish himself now.

Oxford head coach Karl Robinson commented: “It’s great for Joel and he has really impressed us so far.

“I spoke with Mark and know how tough his decision was. He has not taken it lightly and he has been agonising over what to do but ultimately he needed to make a choice and as a club we respect his decision.

“He is still a young man, he has a great future ahead of him and he has been very honest over this so all we can do is back him and help him continue to progress as a player.”