The entire England squad will have been expecting a frosty reception in their Nations League match against Ireland in Dublin, though two players in particular have been on the receiving end of plenty of booing.
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish have been targeted by boos and jeers from Republic of Ireland fans in the capital, with both having ‘betrayed’ Ireland in the past in the eyes of the home supporters.
Grealish and Rice represented Ireland at youth level, with both making appearances for the U17 and U21 sides in the past. However, they eventually pledged their international futures to England.
Rice, who was born in Kingston upon Thames, and Birmingham-born Grealish, both qualified to represent the Irish through their grandparents, but turned their back on Ireland and declared for the Three Lions.
When did Declan Rice play for Ireland?
Rice represented Ireland at U17, U19 and U21 level while playing at West Ham, and even made three appearances in friendly fixtures under Martin O’Neill. However, O’Neill hesitated in calling him up for competitive fixtures, and so Rice eventually declared for England in 2019.
In 2020, Ireland’s manager at the time, Mick McCarthy, had promised to build a team around Rice, and said that his decision “went down like a lead balloon”, with the current Arsenal midfielder having “kissed the jersey” after scoring for the U21s, reports The Guardian. To make matters worse, Rice’s first England call-up came a day after he was named as Ireland’s young player of the year.
Rice has since made 58 appearances for England, having been a key player at two European Championships and the 2022 World Cup.
When did Jack Grelaish play for Ireland?
Unlike Rice, Grealish never made an appearance for the senior team, though he did play for the U17s, U18s and U21s.
In fact, he actively declined a call-up to the senior side in 2014, having been contacted by Gareth Southgate, who was then manager of the England U21 side. Grealish went on to declare for England the following year.
The Manchester City winger has 36 caps for England, though he was left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024, so he will look to make an instant impression and he aims to cement his place in Lee Carsley’s future plans.
