Martin O'Neill looks set to turn to Aston Villa striker Scott Hogan for Republic of Ireland's World Cup showdown in Wales next month.
The 25-year-old - who was born in Salford - has told O'Neill that he wants to declare his international allegiance to the country of his grandparents.
Hogan had delayed his decision as he recovered from a serious knee injury and completed his £12million move to Villa from Brentford in January.
But after meeting with O'Neill during the summer, Hogan has now applied for an Irish passport and the paperwork should be complete in time for the final two matches of Ireland's qualifying campaign.