Sinn Féin have called for a united Ireland football team, with players from both north and south of the border lining up alongside one another.
The idea has been discussed in the past, and has been raised again by the Republican Party, as they present a document on Irish unity this week.
Sinn Féin will open discussions about a united Ireland in both Belfast and Dublin.
As part of the campaign, they have raised the question about an all-Ireland football team.
The idea is not a new one. The Irish rugby team is already a united Ireland one, with players from both the north and south.
The Republic of Ireland side is currently managed by Ulsterman Martin O’Neill.
A Sínn Féin spokesperson said: “Support for an all-Ireland soccer team is growing. We are stronger and more successful together.
“Look at the success of our rugby teams and golfers. As an all-Ireland organisation the GAA is unmatched by any other sports organisation.”
Ireland and Northern Ireland have both struggled to consistently qualify for major tournaments throughout their history, although in 2016 both teams had fantastic runs in the European Championships.
There have been countless world class players from Northern Ireland and Ireland who would have been great assets to any teams.
However, many of these never got to play in major tournaments because the strength in depth of their sides was not enough to compete with the world’s best teams.
Great players such as George Best and Liam Brady missed out on playing on the world’s biggest stage.
If Ireland was to pick players from both the north and south, then the overall team would be much stronger and capable of regularly competing with the world’s best.
Here is the promotional video released by Sínn Féin.
Sínn Féin call for United Ireland football team
