Mick McCarthy has spoken to Off The Ball about his approach to courting potential Irish international players, and the inclusion of Padraig Amond and James Collins in his inaugural squad.
The remark was in relation to international players beginning playing for Ireland that may feel it is their main chance of international football, rather than a particular allegiance to the country.
The comments come after John O'Shea spoke to Off The Ball about player eligibility, but O'Shea's remarks that players with remote familial ties to Ireland should be overlooked for players with closer allegiance.
"Let's wait until he is sat in this chair. It's amazing how people's opinions change until they are sat in the hot-seat," said McCarthy.,
"England have chased one of our better ones and they've taken him.
"It's not only us that are doing it. Surely it is my job to have the best team possible for players that qualify and that's what I continue to do."
Pressed on whether players would likely take badly to a perceived tenuous player coming into the Ireland dressing room, and whether it would cause ructions, McCarthy was unequivocal.
"Not at all. No. Because I have been in the dressing room when it happened, if you remember. I have actually walked into the dressing room and took somebody's place who was born in Ireland.
"Did it cause any consternation or any upset? Not for me. I played in 1988 or 1990 and we had a pretty good time to be quite honest.
"A lot of those guys in that squad weren't born and bred in Ireland - I've never seen any trouble with it at all."
The squad announcement saw the surprise additions of Luton's James Collins and Newport's Padraig Amond
Questions were put to McCarthy about whether this is a sign of the times for Ireland in the level of players that they can attract.
"I think it's a little unfair to describe them as a lower standard of player. They are playing at their level and scoring goals.
"I don't think that can be easily dismissed, to be quite honest with you.
"Both of them have had good seasons, and that should be recognised in me calling them up rather than insulting them, which I am not going to do."
As for the pair's inclusion, form dictates it - according to Mick.
"I think that if you have some in-form goalscorers, you may just require that at some stage. Putting someone on who has not scored 20 goals a season, I would sooner have someone that if a chance falls to him then he might well put it in the net. That is what I'm looking at."
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