By Mark Heys
July 25 2006

Kevin Nolan may have been snubbed by England for international honours recently, but that hasn't stopped the Bolton captain from being mentioned in international circles. The Liverpudlian has consistently been overlooked to play for the country of his birth meaning that Ireland have now entered the fray in an attempt to persuade the 24-year old to commit his international future to them.

Nolan qualifies for Ireland because of the Grandparent rule and FAI national coach Steve Staunton is more than keen to add the midfielder to his list of options in the coming years.

In another big twist it has also emerged that the player is able to play for Holland owing to the fact that his great grandfather was Dutch. It wasn't something that Nolan had ever thought about until a family member mentioned it recently to him.

"It's not only Ireland I have to think about. My great-grandfather was Dutch people don't know that." he told the Bolton Evening News

"It was funny how it came up. I was at a soccer school in Spain in the summer, doing a few things for the kids. In a question and answer session, my little cousin asked me why I was always being asked about playing for Ireland and had never been asked about playing for Holland, because he's got a bit of Dutch in him.

"It just made me laugh, because everybody just talks about Ireland."