Tom Cannon makes it clear where his loyalties lie after a frustrating spell at Leicester City

Tom Cannon has played down speculation he could follow Declan Rice and Jack Grealish in defecting to England as he prepares for his Republic of Ireland debut.

The Liverpool-born Leicester City forward, 21, has been named in caretaker boss John O’Shea’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Hungary and Portugal, having previously been targeted by England.

Cannon, who made 13 appearances for the Foxes in their Sky Bet Championship title-winning campaign, qualifies through his grandparents and has represented Ireland at under-21 level but rejected an appeal from Stephen Kenny during led the senior team and another from O’Shea in March.

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The former Everton frontman said: “I wouldn’t say I’m in two minds. It was more a case of when I was called up to play for Ireland, I came. Earlier, when calls came, I reached here.

“I’m under Stephen Kenny, I’ve had tonsillitis so obviously I couldn’t come to camp. When John O’Shea called me last I was getting over an injury so I just wanted to keep my form at Leicester and see out the season.

“It all came at once, so I just wanted to take a step back from it.”

Anxiety in Ireland over Cannon’s future is perhaps understandable after England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley contacted his agent.

Rice made three senior appearances for the Republic before switching allegiance to become a key figure in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, while Grealish played at under-21 level before opting to represent his native country after a long yard of Martin O’Neill.

Asked if he was always 100 per cent committed to Ireland, Cannon said: “I was, yes. It’s just that newspapers like to create stories and headlines about England. I’ve always been dedicated to Ireland, that’s why I’m here.”

Asked further if he could have explained his intentions to avoid confusion, he added: “Maybe so, it depends how you look at it. England contacted my agent and I was staying away, I didn’t want to get involved. I had enough to focus on in club football, I wanted to focus on that.”

The jury remains out on the future of Cannon’s club with Leicester City set for a turbulent summer amid a managerial change and concerns over player spending being addressed ahead of a likely Premier League points deduction League.

Hours after City lifted the Championship trophy, transfer rumors surrounding Cannon had begun, with both Preston and Blackburn linked with loan interests for the youngster.

But whether the 21-year-old stays at the King Power or moves on may not be decided until the end of the transfer window, when it’s abundantly clear where the Foxes stand in a potentially difficult campaign and what their new manager. they will have to compete.

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