Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has reaffirmed that playing for England remains his "massive dream," even as former Premier League player Danny Mills suggests he should consider switching his international allegiance to the Republic of Ireland. Dewsbury-Hall, 28, has been in strong form for the Blues, scoring in their 3-1 comeback win over Coventry City last Friday, which secured a third consecutive victory heading into the international break.
Dewsbury-Hall's Commitment to England
Speaking to Sky Sports, Dewsbury-Hall said: "It was a disappointing one. I'm not going to lie, it's a massive dream to play for my country. I know I was close, so I'm sad, but really happy and proud of myself for how I've reacted. All I can keep doing is to try and put in good performances and hopefully one day I'll get the nod, because I'm never going to give up. I've got that mentality, I'll just keep pushing and pushing and see what happens."
Everton manager David Moyes also weighed in, saying: "When you're in that position, the best thing to do is to try and go again. If England get a couple of injuries, maybe they've got Kiernan in their minds that they'll call him up. The best thing they can do is keep doing as well as he is doing and I'm sure the [England] manager will keep an eye on him."
Tuchel's View and Competition
England head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged Dewsbury-Hall's quality, stating: "He is close. A very good player, a very good season. In the way we play now, I don't see him in central midfield – more as an eight or a 10, in the finishing part of the game. The competition is very, very high in our squad in this position. As you know, he was in our squad of 55 [for the World Cup]. You can see his quality and he was very close."
The competition for places is intense, with the likes of Phil Foden (49 caps) and Cole Palmer (14 caps) also omitted from recent squads. Mills, speaking to BOYLE Sports, warned against a token call-up, saying: "What you don't want to happen to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is that he just gets a token gesture of two minutes to stop him playing for somebody else and keep him in there and then never play him again. One of those 300-odd players that become a one-cap wonder? That's what you don't want, I think there needs to be a clear pathway."
Mills added: "He obviously needs to have a serious think as well and go: 'Right, okay, what are my realistic chances of being in this England squad for 20, 30 caps? Is that going to happen? Do I want two or three sub England caps, or do I want 50 for Ireland?' That's the decision that he'll have to make. It's a very, very competitive midfield and some young players as well, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden. They're in their early to mid-twenties. They know they're going to be around, Morgan Gibbs-White is going be around for some time to come. Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon. There's a lot of players in there that he's up against that make it very, very difficult to get in that squad and stay in that squad with longevity."
Eligibility and Past Statements
Dewsbury-Hall, born in Nottingham and raised in Leicestershire, is eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents. The Irish FA has courted him for years. In May, he dismissed speculation about switching allegiance, writing on X: "Just not true. Massive respect to Ireland as I've previously stated, but I'm English and England is always the dream."
In an interview with the ECHO in October 2025, he reiterated: "I respect Ireland and I respect the Irish people but I'm English. To play for England, for me, would be the biggest achievement of my career. I think it would be wrong of me to keep letting things drag on when I've got a clear goal in my head… That's nothing against Ireland or anything, they're unbelievable people. But it would be the proudest moment of my life if I played for England."
Comparisons and Career Path
Dewsbury-Hall has spoken about being a late physical developer, standing just 5ft 3in at 15. His career path mirrors that of Leon Osman, another attacking midfielder who developed under Moyes and was loaned out to lower-division clubs before breaking through. Osman did not start for Everton until he was nearly 23 but went on to make 433 appearances, matching Dixie Dean's total, and waited until age 31 to make his England debut, earning two caps against Sweden and San Marino.
Dewsbury-Hall, who graduated from the PFA Business School, has been praised for his maturity. The decision on his international future ultimately rests with him, and he has made clear that England remains his priority.
