And that is where the issue lies- Rice (Senior) and Grealish (Under 21). They both played to a higher level with us and were able to bide their time until they knew and were told by Hodgson and Southgate that they were good enough to make the England senior squad. The three you have referenced jumped early and went all in on England so fair play to them I say!
Isn't McGuane eligible for us now because of this rule change? Not that I'd like to see it.
No, McGuane is still ineligible for us. Has played competitively for both countries and used his switch so cannot switch back again. He's English now whether he wants to be or not.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
I think the opinion on whether Rice and Grealish made the correct choice depends on your view on international football and I think that view has changed down the generations. There seems to be a view that winning things and playing tournaments should be the ambition, whereas other people think the honour of representing your country is the ultimate. I am firmly in the latter. I dont think either player had any idea of the strength of feeling involved and probably would never have pulled on the green jersey if they had an idea of the fall out. 10 or 20 years from now I think players will be able to switch countries on a regular basis and play for the nation whose league they play in and this will all be forgotten about.
Signed for Leeds today, looking at the photo on the announcement, he *has* to be Irish
https://www.leedsunited.com/news/tea...s-leeds-united
Declan Rice is phony, badge-kissing scum.
From their point of view I'm sure they are delighted they made the change. Hard to argue that they were wrong from a football point of view considering that they are now in a final. I just cant stand either of them for how they both handled the switch. Both had a long will they/wont they situation that dragged on for far too long.
As shown by other countries in recent years if you have 1 or 2 top class players in an international team it can have a huge effect. I do believe that if they had stayed with us they would have made a massive impact and gone on to be legends in Ireland like the Houghtons and McAteers before them. They could have had massive nights for us in green.
Its impossible for me to wish them well in the final and I'm praying that Italy hammer them.
Slightly off topic! but I was just asked a great question by my long suffering secretary
"Who do you hate more Thierry Henry or Declan Rice" ? I couldn't decide
Henry surely?
Declan Rice scenarios are going to happen while we have such a big focus on foreign-born 2/3G players who don't necessarily feel all that Irish.
Henry's an out-and-out cheating *******.
Would an Irish player have gone up to the referee and told the ref to cancel the goal if the situation was reversed ? What would most Irish people have thought of an Irish player in that situation especially if Ireland went out of the World Cup later in the game / penalties ?
I think to be fair must Irish People, would not have been happy with one of our guys doing that and knocking a smaller country out
I can testify that me and my mates were very unhappy when Robbie Keane dived to get a peno against Russia in 2010 ( we still lost 2-3), that was cheating too
Declan Rice.
The anger with TH was temporary; the contempt for Declan Rice is permanent. TH did what it took in the heat of a game to put us to the sword; Declan Rice took our international caps and p!ssed all over them in a series of calculated and thought out steps. No decency, no honour. He is a self-serving 7 star of the highest order.
Has Henry shown remorse? I have a notion he has shown a little. Declan Rice has shown zero. He disgusts me. Remember when he said something along the lines of "yeah, I played underage for them."
I was never angry with Henry just hugely disappointed and frustrated. And he's just tried to play the humble honest straight guy before and since. He's conniving and a cheat. He's just as bad as Declan Rice. I think rice didn't realise he had a choice, Henry did.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Rice doesn't really figure in my thinking bar wanting him to lose. Henry actually denied us a chance at a World Cup and a potentially huge moment for the country. No contest.
Why does there have to be a hierarchy? They're different kinds of loathsome.
Rice easily.
Rice for me. It’s a far fresher wound...
I don't like Rice, belting out GSTQ at the top of his lungs etc, just seems a try hard show.
However, we picked a foreign boy for our underage teams. He's English with some Irish blood. But English first. Always a chance he would change his mind in the future. Only a teenage boy when we called him up ffs. That hardly makes him irreconcilably Irish. He had to take the call up when it was offered to him. And I don't blame him for switching to his native land later on when he turned out, against all the odds to be good enough for them.
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