Declan Rice

Have England got a squad announcement coming? Wonder will he be named in it...

Croftman wrote: Have England got a squad announcement coming? Wonder will he be named in it...

Doubt it. If he decides to switch it'll take months for the clearance to go through.

I think it's fair enough comment to feel like McLean should just stay out of it. It's another headline, another story for media to run with "Current international slams Rice" all that stupid nonsense. Just stay off your phone and focus on your football ffs. MON had his say and was respectful. Leave it at that, you've football to focus on.

I think the bigger issue with Rice is just how far he has gone with the Irish setup. Between being a permanent fixture in the Under 21s and picking up three caps at senior level, it is a different situation to Grealish and Kelly.

Very disappointed with this development, however, the whole Granny rule/eligibility can be a blessing and a curse. I really think it's awful to target Declan though - you don't know what has motivated him, his real feelings etc. I'll admit it's a bit odd having seen him kiss the badge etc, but I don't know the lad personally or what has gone on behind the scenes. Not a big fan of McClean nominating himself as spokesman again, hardly going to help. 

Denis Irwin wrote: Kilbane and McClean need to shut the f**k up for the moment. I ain't exactly happy with the scenario at the moment but we're not in a position to be tellling players with good potential  to f**k off

Edited by skylarking - 28 Aug 2018 at 10:26am

I’ve got a cousin who grew up, went to school in S****horpe. His mother, my aunt is from S****horpe. My uncle, my dad’s brother, is Irish.

inlikeflynn wrote: I’ve got a cousin who grew up, went to school in S****horpe. His mother, my aunt is from S****horpe. My uncle, my dad’s brother, is Irish. This lad has been in NZ for ten years. I haven’t seen him in ages. But I met up with him before the World Cup and he started talking about the English in the WC as ‘we’. I couldn’t believe it. I asked him about it and he’s on the fence. But it’s easy for me, who didn’t grow up in England, to confer nationality on him.  Same with Rice. Everyone’s nationality is personal to them and nobody can decide it except himself.

Banjaxed wrote: I think people seem to be stuck on the deliberation side of this story.  Rice's deliberation didn't start 5 minutes after O'Neill named his team yesterday. He (and his family/advisors) knew way in advance and knew the backlash that awaited.  He's made his decision. For PR purposes he's not going to be a complete cold bastard and tell the Irish public "thanks but England have come in and how can I say no?..."  Of course he'll make it seem like a Sophie's choice, but in the end (after months of deliberating) I can't turn down an opportunity to play for my country of birth, etc, etc Here's what it boils down to. If he seriously wanted to continue with Ireland his mind would've been made up even before England came calling.  The fact that yesterday happened at all, says that he's called it a day in the Ireland jersey.