RICE FORGOT HIS THINKING CAP

Declan's decision to pull on Irish shirt was wrong

“WAIT till we draw England”. The words of a young Declan Rice in 2015.

Now that day has finally come. Except Rice is no longer part of the ‘we’ but playing for England and heading back to Dublin.

There were a few more unsavoury comments with those words on social media back then, but the Arsenal midfielder has since apologised so we will leave them in the past where they truly belong.

But what still stings for some Irish people is his comments after he made his debut for the Boys in Green back in 2018.

Rice, now 25, sang the national anthem before a friendly against Turkey and afterwards he explained his emotion for his grandparents, who had passed away, but were the reason he could don the green jersey.