Former Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has defended himself this week.

The ex-Celtic, Leicester City and Aston Villa coach was criticized for certain players choosing England over Scotland earlier in their careers.

However, O'Neill has vehemently rejected suggestions that he was the cause of England stars Jack Grealish and Declan Rice not playing for Ireland, despite being eligible to do so.

“I have answered this umpteen times, but it may be worthwhile to do so for the final time. This will be the final thing I'll say on the topic," O'Neill stated at Ladbrokes Fanzone.

“Jack Grealish and Declan Rice, first of all, both born in England. Both born in England, for a start. Jack's father is English, as well.

“There's an opportunity for both of them at an underage level to play for the Republic of Ireland, and both really enjoyed doing so.

“Jack came to my attention during my tenure, in the early stages as my time as the national team manager, and I went to see him and his father. It really was straightforward; the choice was there for him.

"He knew that the minute he played a minute of international football of standing - in other words, a qualification game, of some sort... a meaningful, senior game - that would tie him down to Ireland.

“But it was always Jack's - and particularly his father's - choice that England was going to be the route he'd go down. I don't think that Jack, or his family, have regretted that decision.

"Yes, you might say Jack would have had a lot more caps for the Republic of Ireland, but would he have enjoyed similar levels of success at international level? Quite obviously, the records will tell you that, no, he wouldn't have.

“In Declan Rice's case, I actually capped him three times, at senior level - and he was only a young lad. I capped him because I felt he was good enough to play for the Republic of Ireland, even at that age. Again, there was a dilemma there, because he'd played for Ireland at an underage level.

“But once I'd put him into the senior side, his agent had got in touch with Gareth Southgate. I wouldn't have even been totally sure that Gareth would have known a great deal about Declan at the time, because he was still trying to break into West Ham's first-team.

"He'd been left out of West Ham's team at the beginning of that season, and I remember telling him at the time that the manager wouldn't know the strengths and weaknesses of his team until he'd had a bit of time with the club. I told him to just be patient, and assured him he'd break into that side.

“In one of the games he played for me, one of the friendlies, he was terrific - I can still remember one moment where he played an exquisite pass through, and you could just see the hallmarks of a player that was going places. He had the fitness levels as well; he had all of the attributes.

“But the bottom line was this: I was not going to coerce or deceive him into playing a senior qualification game for the Republic of Ireland for a number of reasons. One, I just wouldn't have done it. Two, he, his father and his agent knew the rules anyway, and they decided to go to England. Has he regretted that decision? I don't think so."