Lowry opts for Australia

// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} Aston Villa defender Shane Lowry has turned his back on Republic of Ireland after opting to play for Australia. Lowry was born in Perth although he represented Ireland at Under-17 and Under-21 level, winning two caps for the latter.The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) says there are no hard feelings that the 20-year-old defender has opted for Australia.Rules state that a player can switch allegiances until they are 21 if they have not made a senior appearance, something Lowry qualified for.Player's decision"The decision is entirely up to the player," confirmed an FAI spokesman. "He's eligible for both counties and it's perfectly within the rules."Players have gone the other way in the past and declared for us. So it's a case that we've benefited from it in the past."Unfortunately the player has decided to go elsewhere. It's his decision and we have to accept it."

Source: SKY_Sports