Dewsbury-Hall sets sights on England call-up

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall says that one of his biggest career goals would be to play for England.

The Nottingham-born midfielder’s heritage has been in the news recently amid reports that the Republic of Ireland Football Association might try to and tempt him to consider declaring his international allegiance to their nation.

However, Dewsbury-Hall has respectfully insisted that if were to have the honour of earning his first international caps, he would want it to be with the country of his birth.

The 27-year-old former Leicester and Chelsea man has made an encouraging start to life at Everton following his £25m switch from Stamford Bridge over the summer and that has raised the prospect of him becoming a fully-fledged international.

He would qualify for Ireland through his grandparents but Dewsbury-Hall told evertontv:

"I have spoken about it with Seamus [Coleman]," he told evertontv. "I told him where my head is at and that is that I see myself as English and the biggest dream of mine would be to play for England.
 
"It would be unfair of me to keep saying, 'I want to play for the Republic of Ireland', when that's probably not what I want to do, as much as I respect Irish people, their fans and the way they are. It just wouldn't feel right for me.
 
"I want to give myself a chance of playing for England, which is a lifelong dream.
 
"I feel like now there's a great opportunity for me, in terms of playing at a massive club that's on the up, I'm trying to play regular football here. Then it's just down to me.
 
"I still believe that I can do it if I play well enough. That's where my head is at and Seamus knows that. He's the kind of guy who will say, 'Yes, I believe in you and I trust that whatever you want to do you're going to go all in to achieve it'. He was great in terms of that."

Like his team-mate, James Garner, Dewsbury-Hall faces an uphill battle to convince current Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel that he is worthy of a spot at the moment given the German’s preference for players involved in Champions League competition.

He is prepared to do what it takes to get Tuchel’s attention, however, even if the Toffees don’t make the necessary strides in terms of European qualification in the next few years.

“I have always had to work, work, work, work,” Dewsbury-Hall explained. “That's instilled in me, I know I'm not going to get anything given to me. I have to earn it. I almost like the fact that it's up to me. If I play well enough then I'll do it, but if I don't then I'm content because it's my fault, it's no-one else's.

“[My mindset] is probably just from the fact that I've always had to work for everything. Whatever I've had I feel like I've earned. Nothing is given to me, which I'm quite proud of.

“Again, if I ever play for England it's because I've earned it and I've worked hard and I've played well enough where I get the opportunity. If I don't, then fair enough.”