Football Forum | Ticket Forum | Off-Topic Forum | All

Dan M 5:49 Wed Feb 13
Deccers chooses...

... England (the icon gave it away didn't it?)

https://twitter.com/_DeclanRice/status/1095714256421560320

Pub Bigot 8:36 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Doesn't matter, Sold0. That says to me his heritage means a lot to him as does his grandparents. Like most of us I suppose?

Whatever the objective morals are, the decision has been made and he's an England player now and he'll get my full support with the three Lions on his chest.

Norm, in regards to him finding pastures new, I think it's generally accepted he'll move on if he continues to perform and improve, but as long as it's done in the right way and the club ultimately benefit, we'll all accept it. The caveats to that are joining Chelsea/Spurs, throwing a strop, talking badly about the support etc, none of which I see happening.

Northern Sold 7:52 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Rice admitted he felt tearful before the match as he sang the national anthem with his late grandparents from Cork in mind.

"If I'm honest, it brought a little bit of a tear to my eye singing it and (thinking of) my nana and granddad. It was a special moment," said Rice, who later posted a picture on Twitter with his father Sean who travelled over for the game.



Lets be honest... he's more of a Mick than Shaun O'Shaunessey ....

lab 7:42 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Deccers??

alfs barnet 7:32 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Had to speak to BT last night as we are about to move house. The guys trying to flog me a BT Sport pack, and asks me what team I support. Then starts banging on about Declan choosing England when he was born in Ireland...

"He wasn't born in Ireland"
"Yes he was"
"No he wasn't - he was born in the hospital up the road to me - the same hospital that my boys were born in"
"No he was born in Ireland"
"No he wasn't. He went to the same school as my son goes to. He sends the school his boots all the time. He's as Irish as I am. Do I fucking sound like I should play for Ireland???"

Long pause

"You obviously know more about it than I do. So, the BT Sport package"

Despite talking complete shit, the BT Sport pack was quite a good deal so I took it.

Northern Sold 7:01 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Big piece in the Sun today.... seems like DR's old man is not too happy at his son's decision... I wouldn't thought for 100 years he would run out in an England shirt but he has his reasons. It's a shame really - fingers crossed it all goes well".

swindon hammer 2:09 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

It's no surprise that the bitterness has come out from certain people on here.

Maybe they should look closer to home at the shoddy set up of their national team, the poor morale in camp under O'Neill and Keane for some of the reasons for Rice's switch.

As I said previously if your fellow countrymen spent more time and money supporting teams in Ireland instead of spending thousands every year flying over to the UK to watch Celtic, Liverpool and Man Utd then maybe ROI could develop their own players instead of setting up scouts to identify English youngsters with an Irish grandparent and then get upset a few years later when the kid decides he wants to represent his country he was born and bred in instead.

I myself will carry on supporting Rice while he is in a West Ham shirt regardless of nationality.

arsene york-hunt 1:57 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

A man who has the ability and is qualified to play for England would have to be a cunt to play for Ireland. It's ok for the likes of Kilbane, Townsend etc to whine about it but their only chance to get an international career was becoming a faux Paddy. Where would The ROI be without all their fake Irishmen? The spud munchers on here need to shut the fuck up, and live with it.

, 1:54 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Norman, What I think is fine is doing everything within the rules as written. And that is what Rice has done.

The fact is that Rice is as much English as he is Irish so the English have at least as much right as the Irish to get him playing in a competition international. We have lost really good players in the past through not getting them tied to England soon enough [ Giggs and Heighway come to mind ] so it makes a change to persuade someone with massive potential to opt for us.

, 1:44 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

happygilmore 12:44 Sun Feb 17

I reckon that changing horses, so to speak between world cups, is too short a time. However if a player changes nationality and is resident for a number of years, eight as an example, why object to him/her playing for their adopted country?

Norman 12:47 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

The rules are ridiculous. No one said anyone has broken any rules they haven’t. You’re not really a Football person are you if you think it’s fine to play for a country from under 16 and then play 3 times for the senior team. Then get approached by England after they had a decent World Cup. Then go oh hang despite kissing the badge and singing the anthem I might change nation despite them being historic rivals. Wasn’t completely made in England either was he? Playing under 16 to senior Football with Ireland has obviously helped his development. You also mention the Irish FA? They represent Northern Ireland I think you mean the Football Association of Ireland

happygilmore 12:44 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Comma

Everyone excepts that playing underage levels, all doors remain open.

Choosing to play Senior level ? Shouldn'I believe.

Can you give me your honest opinion on This:

Countries have made representations to FIFA to extend the Senior rule to competitive games.

How would you feel about a player playing for England in one WC and against them in the Next WC?

, 12:29 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

To say that nobody comes out of this well is arrant nonsense because the sentient look at what has transpired and accept things as the way of the world.

Rice as a footballer was absolutely made in England. The Irish FA, always looking out for potential future internationals, will of necessity entice players who can automatically qualify for them by offering them international games and this is what they did for Rice. it seems obvious to me that Rice played these games, without hesitation, because he knew that doing so did not preclude him being still available for English selection in the future.

What must bother the Irish FA is the possibility that once a player plays any sort of game for a national team it seals that players fate for the rest of his career. If that becomes the case players like Rice might turn down the offered chance to play in Irish friendlies.

To me Rice, the Irish and English FAs do not look bad at all they have simply acted within the rules. The Irish might feel thwarted by one that has got away but will accept the fact that Rice was made in England as a footballer and qualifies equally for each nation.

happygilmore 12:14 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

Norman,

Spot on. And what happens next? He joins up with Alli, Kane, Trippier, Winks etc in the England squad, then Southgate says to him, you need to be playing with the likes of these week in week out. It will be interesting to see the reaction on here.

Norman 12:00 Sun Feb 17
Re: Deccers chooses...

He is off half Irish blood and half English blood but obviously he was born here. I have English and Irish blood so would of been happy for him to play for either country and cheered him on. Both proud nations but to play full 3 caps forget the youths ranks as people change all the time then turn form Ireland to England. Wow just wow. It’s plain wrong and it’s an embarrassing thing for England, Ireland and him. No one comes out of it with any credit. I think it very naive to think a man with little or no loyalty will stick with us for long. I hope he has another 5 or 6 seasons at West Ham but I am not holding my breath. Of course he’s good enough for England but having a Tottenham player in his position playing CL football week in weekend out will be tough to dislodge him

swindon hammer 11:12 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

Norman,

we get it mate. You hate Rice because he turned his back on your country to play for the country of his birth, of both his parents birth and his maternal grandparents birth. He's basically a half 3rd generation Irishman and has more English blood so it's not the same as Kilbane or Breen who were full second generation Irish who were no doubt brought up to hate everything English.

What's most sad is you will never be able to accept Rice as a West Ham player anymore, will no doubt pick him out every time he has a bad game and will celebrate when he eventually leaves so you can tell us English that you told us he had no principles.

Yet if the shoe was on the other foot and he chose to stick with Ireland all us English Hammers would still be behind the lad because he still represents WEST HAM UNITED.

Norman 10:54 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

Well said Hermit

So Gary Patrick Breen was born in Hendon and has an London accent. Does that mean he can’t have an opinion. His parents are Irish, he grew up in an Irish part of London and he wanted to play for Ireland.

Declan Rice is being slaughted but he will have to live with that the rest of his career. He will be gone in the next year or two and by then none of us will like him unless he goes abroad.

lab 8:22 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

Deccers?

collyrob 8:16 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

“ He just made a decision that will mean he earns a bit less in endorsements”

That’s my biggest issue with it, if you’re choosing what national team to represent based on financial income, then the game is well and truly up.

Lily Hammer 7:03 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

He hasn’t broken any rules, and don’t doubt he was proud to represent Ireland, out of the respect he obviously has for his roots, and I don’t doubt he will be just as proud to represent the country he was born in and grew up in. Such is life in the modern world.

fraser 6:47 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

The rule is shit, but the rule allowed Ireland to poach an English player. The same rules allowed him to see the error of his ways.

Great for Declan and England, oh and fuck Ireland who cares.

Hermit Road 5:54 Sat Feb 16
Re: Deccers chooses...

Absolutely nobody comes out of this well.

The Irish FA are wrong for hanging their arse out to anyone who’s ever eaten a spud. Coming over her trawling for Irish links is desperate.

The English FA should have left him to it once he’d played for a Ireland. I don’t want to see a player wearing the England shirt when he’s already stood for a National anthem that speaks of slaying England. It’s ridiculous.

Rice is wrong because once you’ve played for a country, that should be it. Forget all that bollocks about being young. It’s not like he’s stole a loaf of bread in 17th century London. He just made a decision that will mean he earns a bit less in endorsements. He should have to live with that consequence.

Page 1 - Next