Morgan follows Joyce's lead

Eoin Morgan has made no secret of his desire to play at the top level © Getty Images

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Eoin Morgan will line up proudly in the green of Ireland against England on Friday hoping he can become the second Irish player to defect to the opposition.

The 20-year-old left-hander is regarded as one of the rising stars of Irish cricket, having excelled at every age level he has represented.

But in the next few years he is hopeful of following Middlesex team-mate Ed Joyce and donning the blue of England, opening the floodgates for Irish players hoping to make the grade at the highest level.

Dublin-born Joyce led the way two years ago when, after helping Ireland reach the World Cup for the first time, completed his qualification with England. He is now their chosen opener alongside captain Michael Vaughan.

Joyce, however, could be the first of many, with fellow Dubliner Morgan leading a number of exciting young Irish players with ambitions beyond playing one-day international cricket for their motherland.

“When I first moved to England it was a hard decision, but I want to get to the highest level in my career and the career I’ve chosen is cricket,” said Morgan, who moved to Middlesex aged just 14 after being spotted playing on an Ireland Under-17 tour of England.

Dublin-born Ed Joyce has impressed in England colours

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“In order to do that I have to go and play abroad; if I could play in Dublin I would.

“Ed has blazed a trail for us. People have recognised that the development in Irish cricket is fantastic and we have players like William Porterfield and both Kevin and Niall O’Brien, who are fantastic cricketers.

“You have to realise they are only playing part-time at the moment and they are playing against full international cricketers.

“We all see ourselves as following the same route as Ed - he’s led the way and we can only follow.”

Far from cause resentment among the Irish cricket fraternity over their ambition to further themselves abroad, more senior members of the Ireland squad are actively promoting that as a career.

Vice-captain Kyle McCallan, who had trials with Derbyshire and Surrey as a youngster, believes Joyce’s success can pave the way for other Irish players to follow.

Kyle McCallan failed to make the grade in county cricket

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“Our game needs role models and the more players than can make it at county level, and perhaps go on and play at the highest level, the better,” said 32-year-old McCallan.

“I tried my hand with trials at Surrey and Derby but I probably didn’t have any self-belief that I could do it.

“This was before Ed Joyce, so people would ask you ‘do they play cricket in Ireland?’. I think the mould has been broken now and, if I was 20 now, I think I would have a better shot.”

Of course, there are also major disadvantages to playing county cricket, as Morgan discovered last summer when Ireland played their historic inaugural one-day international against England at Stormont.

Morgan would have been an automatic selection for the match but, because England had picked Joyce and Jamie Dalrymple, Middlesex refused to release him and he made his championship debut against Nottinghamshire instead.

“It was very frustrating not to be able to come over and be a part of a big occasion like that,” Morgan admitted.

“I would have loved to have taken part in that, but my long-term future is with Middlesex and I want to develop my game so I can go to the next level.”