Why Declan Rice’s form should be seen as good news for Ireland

Is it self-esteem or just realism that drives the desire in Ireland to see Declan Rice's form plateau? Either way, it's depressing.

The Republic want a good player but not that good a player, not if he's going to be so good that others will want him too. Not if that means we could lose him. It's the equivalent of being so paranoid and so defeatist that you push your girlfriend away because she's too attractive. You like her, sure, but you can't live with the idea of others liking her. Meanwhile, Declan Rice just becomes every inch the belle of the ball. https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/declan-rices-west-ham-teammate-gives-ominous-message-sky-sports-interview-190273 Despite captaining the Irish underage sides and making three appearances for the senior international team, a lot have given up hope that the West Ham star - who turns 20 today - will end up in green. Most of that is down to England's World Cup campaign and the buzz created around the national team there and, perhaps more pertinently, the market value of each of the English players. If Harry Maguire is suddenly worth £70m after seven games in the summer, playing under Gareth Southgate might have some tangible perks alright. But, rather than Ireland losing a grip on the player they have through his Cork grandparents, the bigger and the better he gets could actually work in Mick McCarthy's favour. Rice has quickly shot from being someone good enough to play for England to being someone with the potential of influencing the biggest clubs in football. In a matter of months, he's outgrown what an England jersey could do for his commercial value and, as Melissa Reddy revealed on The Football Spin, he's already being touted by the best teams in England. Asked whether or not Liverpool would sign the midfielder, Reddy had some fascinating insight.

"Declan Rice is a phenomenal young player. I really like him and I think he's got an exceptionally high ceiling as well," she said. "I know that all the big teams have been looking at him. "Because they draw up five, six-year plans of players who they think, 'okay, if we invest in you, we're investing because we know for the next five or six years, you're going to be a mainstay in our side.' "Manchester United, Tottenham will all be looking at him. "He will have his pick of destination."

All the big teams have been looking at him. Rice is destined for the top and he'll get there because of his own merit, not because of what a different national team will do for him. Playing for Ireland didn't hamper Roy Keane or Damien Duff's career and it certainly didn't make them less commercially attractive. And, actually, the fact that Ireland plan to play him in a different position to England should be considered a positive too.

"From an Irish point of view or from that anxiety point of view of 'maybe he'll choose England because of his career'... his career is going somewhere," Dion Fanning also explained on The Football Spin. "He doesn't need the England stamp. Him playing centre midfield for Ireland is not going to hinder his career."

So, instead of freaking out at the sign of too much talent, Ireland should enjoy it. Playing for England or Ireland won't change where Rice ends up in 10 years' time and, if nothing else, we'll all just get to appreciate an exceptional football player.

"It's largely positive, from an Irish point of view. He scored on Saturday against Arsenal for his first senior goal but, again, a phenomenal performance. "He's extraordinary. For a player so young to be able to read the game like that, but then to always have time on the ball. He intercepts and breaks up play so often but then always has space to do something with it, kind of like Sergio Busquets.  "He's an incredibly gifted player. "He's an outstanding, young midfield player who won't spend his career at West Ham."

Listen to the full show below. https://soundcloud.com/thefootballspin/declan-rice-the-answer-to-jurgen-klopps-problems-liverpool-believe-and-the-bielsa-culture-war