Clinton Morrison will keep Mick McCarthy waiting for up to two months before he decides where to pledge his international future.

The Crystal Palace striker will not be rushed into choosing between England and the Republic - and will take advice from his manager at Selhurst Park, Alan Smith, on coming to his final decision.

The forward was approached by McCarthy at the beginning of the month about the possibility of playing for Ireland as Morrison qualifies through his grandmother. Since then however, both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have emerged as possible suitors.

Morrison, in an interview broadcast by Radio 5 Live last night, stressed that he needs to make his decision quickly because the Republic have an international friendly coming up against Denmark at the end of next month.

But the publicity generated by McCarthy's interest has prompted talk of the 21-year-old now representing England, the country of his birth.

And while Morrison has dismissed talk of playing for either of the West Indian nations, he has not been as quick to damp down rumours of him representing his home nation.

He said: "I've got to sit down and think about what I want to do. It will be a hard decision but it has got to be down to between England and the Republic of Ireland.

"I'll be speaking to my manager about it because Mick McCarthy has been in touch with me a lot and he said he wants me there and that I could get 50 or 60 caps. However, I want to take some advice first.

"Ireland have got a friendly coming up and then two qualifiers so a choice will have to be made soon - probably in the next month or two.

"My heart is set on either England or Ireland. Jamaica and Trinidad have been mentioned but those are the two I'm thinking about at the moment."

Morrison has long been touted as one for the future. This season it appears that promise is being fulfilled faster than even he hoped. So far he has scored 17 goals this season and is constantly linked now in the English tabloids with football's big Premier League clubs.

However, should his choice come down to McCarthy's men, he dismisses the notion that he will be unable to feel the same about playing for the Republic as he would for England.

"I could pull on an Ireland shirt and feel passionately about it because it's international football and everyone wants to play international football," he said.

"If Ireland got to the World Cup I would have been part of that and it would be a great feeling."

With England's likeliest route to the finals through the lottery of the play-offs, Morrison may yet to be swayed to pick up a green shirt rather than a white one.