Declan Rice pledges future to England

[Caco]

The Rice thing was expected to be fair, but a part of me really hopes he ends up regretting his decision. The FAI brought him up through the levels at under age which supported him in developing as a player, the FA didn't and if it wasn't for the likes of John Terry in his ear then the outcome could have been different. Can't see him ending up on the international scrap heap which seems to have happened to Grealish at such a young age, but you never know.

 

[vuzp]

i think that he was playing for Ireland late last year and from what Martin O Niell and now Mick McCarthy were saying that they wanted to make a team around him. He only started to play senior internationals then,
so what has changed in his life for him to make such a big change to now want to play for England??
anyway he's made up his mind so what can you do about it.
I do understand why a lot of people have a bad taste over it but why worry over something that cant be changed ))

 

[DJS]

He should have stuck with Ireland as they were looking to build a team around him, plus as said he came through the youth and a bit late to switch now.

Will be interesting to see if he manages to become a regular for England.

 

[vuzp]

last thing
some people play for the shirt, for the honour,
some for the glory of medals and so on
and others for the money.

 

[Dougal]

i think that he was playing for Ireland late last year and from what Martin O Niell and now Mick McCarthy were saying that they wanted to make a team around him. He only started to play senior internationals then,
so what has changed in his life for him to make such a big change to now want to play for England??

You’re probably not so clued up on the cynical side of football such as agents. Such as the new agent Rice got last summer who is suddenly re-evaluating and renegotiating the worth of his new ‘asset’ just before he signs his first mega deal.

 

[Caco]

i think that he was playing for Ireland late last year and from what Martin O Niell and now Mick McCarthy were saying that they wanted to make a team around him. He only started to play senior internationals then,
so what has changed in his life for him to make such a big change to now want to play for England??
anyway he's made up his mind so what can you do about it.
I do understand why a lot of people have a bad taste over it but why worry over something that cant be changed ))

Name spelled wrong, but I think you've stumbled across the reason he started to have doubts. I actually considered switching my allegiance to supporting England during the dark days of O'Neill and Keane.

 

[nailsy]

I don’t think nationality is all about legality. It’s about identity. And if you’re seriously into football from a young age then you know about the tribalism of football. You’re probably not so clued up on the cynical side of football such as agents. Such as the new agent Rice got last summer who is suddenly re-evaluating and renegotiating the worth of his new ‘asset’ just before he signs his first mega deal.

Yep, cynical. By my age you get it.

Well this is dual nationality and he says he identifies being both English and Irish.

I don't see how the authorities can say players can only sign a professional contract from age 17, but expect them to make a decision about their Nationality at an earlier age.

To be fair we don't know what advice was given to him to get him when he made his initial decision to play for Ireland. Was he talked into playing for them at youth level and told he could always change his mind later? I'd be surprised if that isn't in the thinking of young players when making these decisions early in their career.

 

[Dougal]

Well this is dual nationality and he says he identifies being both English and Irish.

I don't see how the authorities can say players can only sign a professional contract from age 17, but expect them to make a decision about their Nationality at an earlier age.

To be fair we don't know what advice was given to him to get him when he made his initial decision to play for Ireland. Was he talked into playing for them at youth level and told he could always change his mind later? I'd be surprised if that isn't in the thinking of young players when making these decisions early in their career.

Like I mentioned before, he was fairly entrenched in his decision but there was a way out. This isn’t one or two games for the under-16s and ‘Whoopsie! My bad! Meant to go that way’. He was quite a long way down the road and only one step away from not being able to turn back. At which point of course, he turned back. And for that he deservedly gets stick for jumping ship.

To summarise, he’s in a trench, on a road, on a ship. And he hit the ejector button with his England parachute strapped on. Can I order the mix metaphors for my main with a side order of bitter lemons?

 

[Caco]

Well this is dual nationality and he says he identifies being both English and Irish.

I don't see how the authorities can say players can only sign a professional contract from age 17, but expect them to make a decision about their Nationality at an earlier age.

To be fair we don't know what advice was given to him to get him when he made his initial decision to play for Ireland. Was he talked into playing for them at youth level and told he could always change his mind later? I'd be surprised if that isn't in the thinking of young players when making these decisions early in their career.

True, but what we do know is that he was released by Chelsea as a teenager and the FAI showed enough faith in him to call him up for Ireland when he went to West Ham, that would have helped his confidence and helped to develop him as a player. Not suggesting he is now in debt to the FAI, but there is such a thing as gratitude.

There is a very different sense of camaraderie with the Irish set up, probably as the pool we have to select from is so small that we have no choice but to continuously select the same players regardless of form, this was probably the main reason why he took so long to to make the decision to eventually switch. But sure he's dead to us now, can see Hendrick breaking him up first chance he gets!

 

[tototoner]

he has obviously been advised by his agents that he'll be more marketable and earn more money as an English international.

good luck to him

 

[Blockbuster]

You could argue the FAI took a punt on a young kid and tried to make him declare for them incase he became quality.
I remember the FAI calling up a certain Terry Dixon at aged 16.

Wales do the same, call up these players very early and i suspect to try and stop England getting a shout. which was fine when England were a laughing stock, but not anymore sunshine.

Be pleased that you helped develop a player who could go on to have major international success.

Wilfried Zaha went through all england stages, even played a friendly, then choose Ivory Coast, we aint bitter.

 

[Caco]

You could argue the FAI took a punt on a young kid and tried to make him declare for them incase he became quality.
I remember the FAI calling up a certain Terry Dixon at aged 16.

Wales do the same, call up these players very early and i suspect to try and stop England getting a shout. which was fine when England were a laughing stock, but not anymore sunshine.

Be pleased that you helped develop a player who could go on to have major international success.

Wilfried Zaha went through all england stages, even played a friendly, then choose Ivory Coast, we aint bitter.

 

[Dougal]

You could argue the FAI took a punt on a young kid and tried to make him declare for them incase he became quality.
I remember the FAI calling up a certain Terry Dixon at aged 16.

Wales do the same, call up these players very early and i suspect to try and stop England getting a shout. which was fine when England were a laughing stock, but not anymore sunshine.

Be pleased that you helped develop a player who could go on to have major international success.

Wilfried Zaha went through all england stages, even played a friendly, then choose Ivory Coast, we aint bitter.

West Ham fans were singing Zaha was too shit for England the other day. And they have Mark Noble! I’m sure Zaha would get in a lot of people’s England squads. Foolish if not, he’s quality and they missed out.

 

[Blockbuster]

West Ham fans were singing Zaha was too shit for England the other day. And they have Mark Noble! I’m sure Zaha would get in a lot of people’s England squads. Foolish if not, he’s quality and they missed out.

No doubting that but (apart from West Ham fans) no one is bitter towards Zaha?

of course now he'd get into the squad and we seriously missed out but no bitterness towards him.

 

[Dougal]

No doubting that but (apart from West Ham fans) no one is bitter towards Zaha?

of course now he'd get into the squad and we seriously missed out but no bitterness towards him.

Things are going ok for England and the Ivory Coast is out of sight, out of mind. Now imagine that you’re not doing so well and Zaha has decided to go and play for France where he may or may not have a future when you’re in desperate need of new blood. Not that long after another rising star did the same thing. Now stop imagining it and live it. Now comment on it. Not a drop of bitterness? Fair play, you’re a bigger man than me.

 

[DJS]

Rice’s daddy ain’t happy about his choice apparently...

 

[Spurger King]

U-21 is different, but if you play any games at senior level you should have to stick with that country.

I don't think he's been very respectful.

 

[nailsy]

Rice’s daddy ain’t happy about his choice apparently...

Makes you wonder if Daddy had a big influence on his original selection.

 

[SugarRay]

He isn’t going to be a game changer for England.

He should have stuck with Ireland imo, no matter how good he is or isn’t.

 

[mattyspurs]

See it from his point of view though. I bet he has had family members, friends, agent etc all in his ear trying to advise him what’s best...he was never going to please people. I feel for the kid (and that’s what he is) it must have been really hard to make the choice