West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has chosen to represent England instead of the Republic of Ireland, despite already having three caps for Ireland. In a statement on his Twitter profile, Rice said: “It is a personal decision that I have made with my heart and my head, based on what I believe is best for my future.”
Rice to Switch to England
Declan Rice was able to represent the Republic of Ireland through his Irish grandparents but was born in London. He had already made three senior appearances for them, making his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Turkey. However, having become a first-team regular at West Ham, he has decided to switch his allegiance to his country of birth.
He informed fans via a statement on his Twitter account. The statement read:” This afternoon I telephoned both Mick McCarthy and Gareth Southgate to inform them of my decision to submit a written request to FIFA for the transfer of my international registration to the Republic of Ireland to England.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision and, in all honesty, not one I ever expected to be making at this stage of my career.
“I hope people can understand that I have made this decision with honesty, integrity and the full support of my family.”
Rice has had a terrific season so far. He has become an established defensive midfielder and has made 23 Premier League appearances. The 20-year old scored his first senior goal in a 1-0 win over Arsenal.
It will boost Gareth Southgate’s midfield options. In their last game against Croatia, Southgate started with a midfield three of Ross Barkley, Eric Dier and Fabian Delph. However, both Barkley and Delph are in and out of their club’s first teams. As a result, Southgate may opt for Rice, who is a regular under Manuel Pellegrini.
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