Declan Rice

[Real ale Madrid]

If he was sweet on his chances of starting before this - he will be sour about same now.

[pineapple stu]

He shouldn't chicken out if Evra does sign. He should szechuan this chance to improve his game.

[DannyInvincible]

Rice's head would be fried if he came on here and saw the lack of faith you guys have in him. He's played a few crackers lately and there's no way he's going to let Evra wok right into that team.

[tetsujin1979]

And that was the end of the rice puns

[Real ale Madrid]

And that was the end of the rice puns

You mean Rice crispy puns I presume

[pineapple stu]

You cannot be cereal

[tetsujin1979]

Do you want it to be the end of all puns?

[OwlsFan]

Do you want it to be the end of all puns?

Are you getting steamed ?

[Fixer82]

Do you want it to be the end of all puns?

That's just pilau talk!

[Diggs246]

If he gets another deal, it will be a rice to riches

[DannyInvincible]

And that was the end of the rice puns

Soy it ain't so.

[Fixer82]

Whatever he does he won't be left won ton

[Closed Account 2]

Paddy Evra is just a stop gap Tilda end of the season. It's just a signing for the saké of bolstering the squad, which is paper thin at the moment.

[DeLorean]

O'Neill not counting any chickens - https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/martin-oneill-calls-up-declan-rice-but-admits-youngsters-international-future-is-not-confirmed-36683385.html

[Diggs246]

O'Neill not counting any chickens - https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/martin-oneill-calls-up-declan-rice-but-admits-youngsters-international-future-is-not-confirmed-36683385.html

I would be confident we will win this particular battle on allegiance

[DeLorean]

Yeah, it doesn't even seem like much of a battle really. MON just being ultra-cautious I suspect.

[Fizzer]

Crazy scenes at West Ham yesterday with fans invading the pitch.Seems the chairman may have been struck by a coin.I wonder could there be a points sanction? If so,West Ham are in big relegation trouble.Incidentally,very good form shown by Jeff Hendrick,giving his seat to a kid when things looked dangerous.I think he gave the kid his boots afterwards.Very classy.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/declan-rice-call-up-to-ireland-senior-squad-a-dream-come-true-1.3432837?mode=amp

All credit to Declan Rice. Appears to be a class act and look forward to him wearing the green for many years.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/rice-happy-in-green-theres-no-decision-to-be-made-468535.html

Some more quotes in here.

[Olé Olé]

https://twitter.com/_DeclanRice/status/977287099849297921?s=20

This lad makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Strikes me as someone you would love to have as a son. Based on last night and based on everything I've seen and heard from him, I can envisage a great 100 cap career for this lad.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/declan-rice-gives-firm-commitment-12243077

Some great quotes here too. Can't wait for his home debut. I think he'll get a brilliant reception and will appreciate it.

[Fizzer]

Seems like a really top young fella,really liked his efforts to get on the ball and make things happen in midfield.Guy is a gem

[backstothewall]

His range of passing, the way he can bring the ball forward, and how he can obviously do a job in midfield remind me of somebody who's name I dare not mention after 1 cap. But I'm thinking it and I'd suspect I'm not the only one.

He looks a Rolls-Royce of a footballer.

[Olé Olé]

https://twitter.com/_DeclanRice/status/977483268080783361?s=20

Look at this for humility. A gem is right.

[Diggs246]

I really hope he is played in midfield, we have Duffy, Clark and Kevin long and others to cover centre half. A fit McCarthy and Rice sounds good to me

[Olé Olé]

The Irish Independent's sports page led with a big picture if Rice and the quote relating to his grandparents. It reminded me of something I considered a while back on this. On a night out in Dublin, St. Ledger getting a heroes welcome on a night out in Harcourt Street after we qualified for Euro 2012 and Jack Grealish in 2015 getting his name dragged through the mud by the British tabloids on the back of a (very) boozy in Manchester.

I hope these lads realise that Ireland fans and the media and greater public do generally love our national team players. The likes of Shane Duffy and Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan are worshipped after the Italy match at the Euros in 2016. I'm not saying that they get treated like royalty but much respect is afforded to a lot of these lads.

Jack Grealish could have been our hero and instead he's tabloid-fodder. Maybe this is me knowing nothing but being Irish and oblivious to the identity of the English football supporter and Englishman.

The Independent also carried the picture Rice posted on Twitter with his dad after the match. His dad's name is Sean and he named his son Declan. He looks brimming with pride in that picture and naming his son Declan infers why he would be. I don't expect to hear him ranting and raving on Talksport any time soon.

Apologies for so many references to Grealish but it's an incident that I feel we should encourage discussion on for a few reasons and it's always an interesting framing for conversations on English-born players, particularly those as highly-rated at club level as Rice.

[samhaydenjr]

The Irish Independent's sports page led with a big picture if Rice and the quote relating to his grandparents. It reminded me of something I considered a while back on this. On a night out in Dublin, St. Ledger getting a heroes welcome on a night out in Harcourt Street after we qualified for Euro 2012 and Jack Grealish in 2015 getting his name dragged through the mud by the British tabloids on the back of a (very) boozy in Manchester.

I hope these lads realise that Ireland fans and the media and greater public do generally love our national team players. The likes of Shane Duffy and Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan are worshipped after the Italy match at the Euros in 2016. I'm not saying that they get treated like royalty but much respect is afforded to a lot of these lads.

Jack Grealish could have been our hero and instead he's tabloid-fodder. Maybe this is me knowing nothing but being Irish and oblivious to the identity of the English football supporter and Englishman.

The Independent also carried the picture Rice posted on Twitter with his dad after the match. His dad's name is Sean and he named his son Declan. He looks brimming with pride in that picture and naming his son Declan infers why he would be. I don't expect to hear him ranting and raving on Talksport any time soon.

Apologies for so many references to Grealish but it's an incident that I feel we should encourage discussion on for a few reasons and it's always an interesting framing for conversations on English-born players, particularly those as highly-rated at club level as Rice.

That's a really good point and it seems to have been instrumental in bringing our latest recruit, Callum Robinson, on board: https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/preston-star-callum-robinson-confirms-he-wants-to-play-for-ireland-36687508.html


English born Robinson qualifies for Ireland through his grandmother who hailed from Monaghan and he admits having Irish lads around him and seeing the emotion in Ireland fans has influenced his come-and-get-me plea.

"I played with the likes of Derrick Williams and Enda Stevens, who've just got called up to the Ireland squad, Ciaran Clark, Graham Burke and Mikey Drennan at Villa," added Robinson.

"I was gutted when Ireland didn't get through to the World Cup but I remember seeing supporters in tears and I was just like 'That's what it's about'. I haven't played for Ireland so don't know the feeling but when I saw that and I heard the fans, it was amazing.
"You can see what it means to the players, especially James McClean, and the fans help with that. Even when they're defending you can see it in the likes of Cizza (Ciaran Clark).

"I am often there Snapchatting Greg saying 'Oh my God, what an atmosphere'."

[OwlsFan]

Cost West Ham a point yesterday (perhaps). Ducked under a ball which he should have headed clear and it went in to the net. No sure what he was thinking. Score was 1-1 at the time. They went on to lose 4-1. Moyes none too pleased https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018/0423/956453-moyes-tells-rice-learn-quickly-or-you-wont-progress/

[tricky_colour]

Joe Harts fault. Declan left it for him and he make a balls up of it.


Typical Hart blunder, he can add it to his vast collection, useless English keeper.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICre_Ys8-YM

[tricky_colour]

They guy is a joke


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6CxYqezIrw

[tricky_colour]

Here is what his own "fans" think of him.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJL9qYFRcKc

[tricky_colour]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY_H3ve2p24

West Ham 1-1 Stoke "What the f**k was Joe Hart doing?!" Instant Match Reaction

[Stuttgart88]

Rice was 100% to blame for the goal. Hart may have a catalogue of errors on his CV but this wasn't one of them. There was an Arsenal forward between Rice and Hart meaning it was terrible judgment to leave it. Experience would also have told Rice that keepers hate inswingers that have to clear heads before they can commit. It's possible the forward shouted "keeper" (totally dishonest, but something I've done in 5 a side!) to deceive him which is the only excuse I can think of for Rice. It was a routine harmless situation for Rice, a nightmare for a keeper. Sorry tricky, I think you're looking through green tinted glasses on this one.

[seanfhear]

I am not sure Hart is a keeper in the sense of keeping hold of him .

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, like that joke:

The moment I first met my wife I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing padded gloves.

[tetsujin1979]

won young hammer of the year at the west ham awards earlier tonight
989240071244189696

[tricky_colour]

Rice was 100% to blame for the goal. Hart may have a catalogue of errors on his CV but this wasn't one of them. There was an Arsenal forward between Rice and Hart meaning it was terrible judgment to leave it. Experience would also have told Rice that keepers hate inswingers that have to clear heads before they can commit. It's possible the forward shouted "keeper" (totally dishonest, but something I've done in 5 a side!) to deceive him which is the only excuse I can think of for Rice. It was a routine harmless situation for Rice, a nightmare for a keeper. Sorry tricky, I think you're looking through green tinted glasses on this one.

I think maybe I was, I'm not sure what he was thinking you have to clear the ball there really unless you are very sure it is safe not to. Maybe he though it would be the other side of the post, trying to be a bit clever, hopefully he will learn from it, if not he will end up with a blunders video as long as Hart's!!

[nigel-harps1954]

OG for Rice.

[DeLorean]

OG for Rice.

Officially credited (debited?) to Zabaletta.

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness the slight touch from Adrian was what caught him flat footed. Adrian's touch deflected the ball into his standing foot. No real blame. The intercepted back pass minutes later was a definite error though.

[tetsujin1979]

West Ham co-owner David Gold was on talksport earlier saying he wants their new manager Pellegrini to make Rice into the future of the English defence.
Best of luck with that.

[irishfan86]

Hope Gold doesn’t know something we don’t. I imagine he’d try to convince Rice to play for England if possible — would likely add a few million pounds to his transfer value.

[IsMiseSean]

David Gold is a bit of an idiot. He is one half of the 'dildo brothers' after all. I wouldn't read anything in to it.

[seanfhear]

It may suggest the type of pressure players may come under to Play for England i.e. Clubs , Agents , Accountants , etc .

I suppose the player has to decide for themselves and with the heart .

[gastric]

Methinks Gold is just ignorant of Rice's allegiances.

[Charlie Darwin]

You could have ended that statement before the word "of", gastric.

[samhaydenjr]

Hope Gold doesn’t know something we don’t. I imagine he’d try to convince Rice to play for England if possible — would likely add a few million pounds to his transfer value.


David Gold is a bit of an idiot. He is one half of the 'dildo brothers' after all. I wouldn't read anything in to it.

Bit worrying that he is talking about it - this isn't Sam Allardyce blowing his top because Kevin Kilbane turned down a call-up from England U18s - unless he really is ignorant of his players' status, this is the club owner basically telling an incoming manager to pressure a teenager to switch allegiance. If this is the case and Rice still appears in the Nations' League games in the autumn, then he deserves go even higher up in everybody's estimation.

[DeLorean]

Roy Keane doesn't seem too concerned - http://www.the42.ie/roy-keane-declan-rice-ireland-england-david-gold-west-ham-international-4033187-May2018/


It’s going to be pretty difficult if he’s Irish. And he is Irish. He plays for Ireland. Where else would he want to go, if you had a choice, Ireland or England? It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Ireland.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqViL74QCPc

[gastric]

You could have ended that statement before the word "of", gastric.
I actually worked with and socialised with one of his daughters in London years ago, but not in the industry you would be happy to slate me over! I still feel a certain loyalty to her even though she was very disparaging of him.

[Olé Olé]

Roy Keane doesn't seem too concerned - http://www.the42.ie/roy-keane-declan-rice-ireland-england-david-gold-west-ham-international-4033187-May2018/




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqViL74QCPc

That is one of the most perfect responses he could have provided and one of the best instances of his short and sharp assertiveness being applied.