REPUBLIC OF IRELAND rising star Evan Ferguson looked bemused as he shut down an interviewer’s questions about his commitment to Ireland.

The Meath teen — who agreed a new Brighton and Hove Albion contract until 2029 on Friday — was once again forced to distance himself from speculation that he may have switched allegiance and declared for England.

The 19-year-old’s mother, Sarah, was born in England, but Ferguson — who has scored three times in eight senior Irish appearances — has long been unequivocal about his desire to represent his country.

TalkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook asked: “There’s a lot of England fans who would love to see you pull on the white shirt. Is that ever going to happen? Was that ever going to happen?”

“No, no,” Ferguson said, shaking his head.

“I don’t think that would — that’s never going to happen, no. That’s not a question.”

Ladies and Gentlemen the winner of the stupid question of 2023 goes to …… TALKSPORT

He’s not even eligible for England anymore, do your research !!🤡pic.twitter.com/wby72vUpbL

— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) November 10, 2023

Crook followed up: “And what’s the reason that you’re so committed to Ireland?”

“Because I’m Irish,” Ferguson responded incredulously. “There’s nothing else to say.

“I’ve been asked that question a few times, but no. I’m Irish.”

With a clip of the exchange viewed over one million times on X within the space of a few hours on Friday afternoon, Crook attempted to distance himself from criticism of his questions.

“Me asking Evan Ferguson, whose mum was born in England, if he was ever tempted to play for England has caused a bit of storm,” he wrote on X.

“It was a tongue in cheek question as has been a story in the press.

“He answered it brilliantly with a smile as he did every other question. Top guy.”

Sharing a clip of the full 10-minute interview later on Friday, Crook accepted that “I can see that asking an Irishman why he was committed to Ireland may be seen as disrespectful, was not the intention.”