Gary Breen has called on football authorities to prevent players switching national allegiance or declaring for a country based on residency.
The former Republic of Ireland defender, who was born in London to Irish parents, insists that he never wanted to represent England and that players should be forced to declare their country of choice upon turning professional.
Under the current rules, a player can switch nationality as they long as they haven't played a senior international competitive game, and qualify for the new country through familial (parent or grandparent) or residential (five years, formerly two) ties.
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish caused a storm on these shores last year after declaring for England despite playing U17, U18 and U21 for Ireland, while the likes of James McLean, Shane Duffy and Eunan O'Kane originally played underage football for Northern Ireland.
In recent years, Brazilians Diego Costa and Marcos Senna have represented Spain after living in the country, and Breen fears that football could end up the way of rugby and cricket, which have seen a plethora of players with no ancestral ties to a country lining out in national shirts.
"We've seen players all over the world making decisions based on career moves and that's wrong," the 63-cap international told RTÉ Sport.
"International football shouldn't be a career move. You have opportunities to play all over the world now at club level, there's your career choice.
"International football is unique, and not just football, we see it in rugby, we see it in cricket, and that needs to be protected.
"It elevates you, in terms of what you can achieve when playing for your country and what it means. It should be the pinnacle of your career.
"Anyone can argue you can declare for someone to play at a major tournament, no, we need to protect that. Play for the country you believe you're from.
"In my generation, two of the Gallen brothers (Joe and Steve) played with me in the Under 21s for Ireland, one of them (QPR's Kevin) declared for England.
"He played for the country he wanted to play for, and that's fine. You may well have someone who has the exact same upbringing as me but considers themselves English.
"But residency is ridiculous and wrong. You shouldn't be able to play for someone just because you've lived in the area. Even though you still consider your country to be elsewhere. It's a career move and it shouldn't be allowed."
Breen is unsure whether the as-yet-uncapped Grealish would be welcomed back into the Irish set-up if he had a change of heart and suggested that the decision on national allegiance should be taken at the outset of a player's career to protect them from outside influences.
"That's up to Jack. I don't think he would be able to do it," he said
"I would argue that you should play for the country that at 16 you think you are [from].
"Every young man, when they go into a professional club for the first time, declare who they consider they should be playing for. Once they sign that, that should be it. No changing.
"People argue that you're a young man, you're impressionable, but I'd argue that's when you have the purest thoughts about who you are.
"You haven't been affected by hierarchies at a club, by agents or financial gain. It literally is 'where do you think you're from?' and I think that's what should be done."
Breen said that representing Ireland at the World Cup in 2002 was "a dream come true" and he warned the Irish squad at this year's European Championships that it can be a struggle to deal with the high emotions major tournaments can generate.
"My mum's from Clare, my Dad's from Kerry. I was brought up in North London, Camden Town. There was a real Irish culture around there and I didn't know anything other than that in terms of where I was from.
"Obviously, I have a London accent and I had a wonderful upbringing in London but I'm Irish and always have been.
"As a young boy growing up, it was more about playing for Ireland than in FA Cup finals.
"Getting the opportunity and the honour to pull the green jersey on, and to do it a major championship, that's what the dream was all about.
"These boys now have a massive chance to do that. It'll be everything they've dreamed about but they won't realise how big it is until they've experienced it.
"When I walked out onto the pitch prior to the first game and just took in the environment, saw the sea of green and heard the roar of the crowd, it was so emotional.
"It hits home then. Everything leading up to that is about the anticipation and then suddenly it's right there in front of you.
"It evokes memories of growing up, being in Ireland, and your mum and dad, all your family, how honoured they are that their son or grandson is playing for Ireland. It's just a brilliant occasion.
"It will be very emotional for these players and they've got to deal with it."
Gary Breen was speaking at the launch of Spar's 'Team of Gary Breens' competition.
