Why are Declan Rice and Jack Grealish being booed against Ireland?
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Declan Rice, the midfielder from England, did not show joy and instead raised his hands in apology when he scored the first goal against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. This came after both him and Jack Grealish were jeered by the local supporters.
The entire team from England probably thought they would face a cold welcome during their Nations League match against Ireland. However, Rice and Grealish were specifically singled out for negative reactions, as some fans feel they turned their backs on Ireland in the past.
Grealish didn't hold back after scoring England's second goal of the game with a slick move. The forward, who was brought back to the team after missing out on Euro 2024, savored his moment in front of the England fans despite being booed in the first half.
Grealish and Rice played for Ireland's youth teams, competing for the U17 and U21 sides before deciding to represent England at the international level.
Rice, born in Kingston upon Thames, and Grealish, born in Birmingham, were both eligible to play for Ireland due to their grandparents. However, they chose to represent England instead of Ireland.
Declan Rice's Ireland Debut Date?
Rice played for Ireland at U17, U19 and U21 levels while he was with West Ham. He also played in three friendly matches under Martin O’Neill. Despite this, O’Neill did not choose to include him in competitive games. In the end, Rice decided to play for England in 2019.
In 2020, Ireland's coach Mick McCarthy had planned to create a team focused on Rice, but the idea did not go over well. The current Arsenal player had shown loyalty to Ireland by celebrating a goal for the U21 team, but soon after, he received his first call-up to the England national team. This came just a day after he was named Ireland's young player of the year.
Rice has played in 58 games for England, being an important player at two European Championships and the 2022 World Cup.
When Did Jack Grealish Play For Ireland?
In contrast to Rice, Grealish did not play for the senior team, but he did represent the U17s, U18s, and U21s.
In reality, he turned down an invitation to join the adult team in 2014, when Gareth Southgate, who was managing the England U21 team at the time, reached out to him. Grealish later decided to play for England in the next year.
The Manchester City winger has played for England 36 times, but he was not chosen by Gareth Southgate for Euro 2024. Now, he hopes to quickly prove himself and secure a spot in Lee Carsley's upcoming team selections.
