ASTON Villa striker Scott Hogan has announced that he has declared for the Republic of Ireland.
The decision comes after the 24-year-old met with Ireland manager Martin O’Neill to discuss his international future.
Prolific Hogan has scored 71 goals in 147 league appearances since he made his debut for non-league Woodley Sports FC back in 2010.
The striker was linked with a move to Premier League outfit West Ham in January but eventually moved to Aston Villa from Brentford on the last day of the winter transfer window.
Hogan, whose grandparents are Irish, was called up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad in February 2014, but did not feature in the match.
He is likely to be added to Ireland’s squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers once his Irish passport has been confirmed.
Reacting to the news of Hogan’s declaration, Martin O’Neill said he was “delighted” at getting his man.
“I understand that if you were born somewhere, this isn’t where you might want to play first,” O’Neill told The Irish Times.
“He would not have been the first player who would have thought about England first of all and actually ended up doing well for Ireland.”
However, O’Neill concluded that Hogan is “keen… really keen.”
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