After months of deliberation, he has made a decision.
Declan Rice has made a decision on his international future. The West Ham United midfielder has opted to play for England.
The decision ends months of deliberation by Rice about which country to represent. It also brings an end to months of speculation around the 20-year-old.
Rice qualified for Ireland through his grandparents from Cork. Between 2015 and 2018, he represented the Republic of Ireland at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, playing 20 times in total.
In 2018, he graduated to the senior side and made three appearances in friendlies under Martin O’Neill. In each game, the Londoner was Ireland’s best player.
However, he asked to be omitted from the squad for the Uefa Nations League game against Wales in Cardiff last September. Rice had been approached by England coach Gareth Southgate about playing for the nation of his birth.
As Rice had only played in friendlies for Ireland, he was eligible to switch allegiance. He has decided to represent England, the country of his birth.
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) February 13, 2019
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