TalkSPORT pundit explains why Arsenal's Declan Rice gets more stick than Jack Grealish for switching international allegiance
09/06/2024 01:15 PM
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish featured regularly for England under Gareth Southgate and have 94 international caps between them.
However, things could have been so different for the pair if they hadn’t switched international allegiance to England as they were eligible to represent Ireland – Grealish through his maternal grandfather and Rice through his paternal grandparents.
Rice, who was playing for West Ham United at the time, even made three appearances for the Republic of Ireland in 2018 before declaring for the Three Lions.
As the Republic of Ireland prepare to host England in the UEFA Nations League tomorrow in Dublin, the pair are likely to be greeted by a hostile atmosphere at a place they could have called home.
And Tony Cascarino thinks he knows exactly why Rice will get far more stick than Grealish at the Aviva Stadium.
Tony Cascarino feels Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice will be booed way more than Jack Grealish
Cascarino – much like Rice and Grealish – was eligible to represent England and Ireland. However, he ended up choosing the latter and made 88 appearances for his country between 1985 and 1999.
The 62-year-old believes Ireland fans will be particularly irked by the fact that Rice played for Ireland’s senior team before switching to England, while Grealish only played for the youth teams.
"I think Declan will get far more stick because he obviously represented Ireland at younger levels and Jack had a choice,” Casarino said on talkSPORT (8:41 AM, Sept 6th).
“If you don't play him and that choice, then Jack chose England and you live with that."
How have Rice and Grealish fared for England?
Rice has been one of England’s most dependable players since his debut in 2018 and has played three major tournaments for the Three Lions – the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
He continues to cement his status as one of the best players in the world in his position and has earned rave reviews from fans and pundits alike for his consistent displays.
Patrick Vieira recently described Rice as one of his favourite players, which is a huge deal considering the calibre of the legendary Frenchman.
Grealish, on the other hand, hasn’t nailed down a regular starting spot for his country and was recently left out of the squad for Euro 2024 as they lost out to Spain in the final.
The England squad were reportedly shocked by Grealish’s omission, which just goes to show the talent he possesses.
That said, England are entering a new era after Southgate’s exit, which could present the 28-year-old with another opportunity to force his way into the national team under the new manager.
