It looks like this saga is set to come to a conclusion.
Declan Rice will release a statement regarding his international future next week, according to a report in The Irish Daily Star on Wednesday.
The West Ham United defender caused a stir last week after he was omitted from Ireland’s squad for their Uefa Nations League match against Wales and a friendly against Poland.
Wednesday's front page pic.twitter.com/rlFEMNG1EX
— Irish Star US (@IrishStarUS) September 5, 2018
Martin O’Neill told reporters last week that the 19-year-old, who has won three senior caps for Ireland, wanted to take some time to decide his international future amid interest from England, the country of his birth.
Rice had been contacted by England manager Gareth Southgate and was considering potentially switching allegiance. As Rice had only played for Ireland in friendlies and not a competitive fixture, he was free to switch and play for England.
According to a report in The Irish Daily Star, Rice will release a statement after Ireland’s match against Poland on Tuesday.
He will reportedly state that he intends to continue playing for Ireland, and he will then be in line to return to the squad for the Nations League games against Wales and Denmark in October.
After news broke last week that Rice was deliberating over his international future, many Irish football fans argued that he should no longer be in contention to play for Ireland and that the decision should be made for him.
Kevin Kilbane appeared to be one of those with that viewpoint.
The former Ireland international said he would rather the country were “ranked 150th in the world and never qualify again” than pick a player who is unsure about their international allegiance.
“Monumental bollocks” – Richie Sadlier on Kevin Kilbane’s comments about Declan Rice
However, others said they would welcome Rice back as he is a very promising player and in a difficult situation trying to choose between two countries.
Regardless of where you stand on the debate, Rice’s presence can only improve the Ireland team. Hopefully, from the perspective of the Irish team, the report proves accurate and Rice returns to the squad next month.
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