He chose England because it’s his best chance of reaching a major finals and increases his value in future transfers and contract talks.Thats it as simple as that no other reason.
Uncomfortable with the number of threads that end up discussing sectarian bollocks.
I have had a pretty bad week, 31 years ago Tuesday two comrades and friends of mine were murdered in the troubles, they would have been in their mid 50's now, whilst it seems a lifetime ago its remains so fresh in the memory.
It was the IRA that killed them, but, loyalist Michael Stone to my mind played his part in their death by throwing grenades around Milltown Cemetery a few days earlier.
I seem to spend most of my working life quantifying the losses in the Great War that people often describe as a 'waste of life', that's fair enough and I can understand if not agree with that view.
By the same token I view any life lost in NI as a waste, that's how I feel now anyway, sorry if it causes any offence to anyone, and for derailing the thread, I just needed to get it off my chest.
don't like the way people play the system, James McLean done similar as used the northern irish set up for youth and then switched to the republic, all v strange, i would qaulify for roi, scotland and england on ancestral, yet to stand and sing eithers national anthem would seem a bit strange, have never really got it.
I’m not so sure Gary, he followed the phrase with “wait till we play England”. That suggests to me that he did know the history well enough.
Just grates on me how someone expressing support (even if they don’t genuinely/literally support them) for a terrorist organisation that murdered so many people is excused by most. Yet even a racist joke (let alone a racist insult) would have people calling for his head.
qoute function not working properly.
mclean has now had a say on the matter and its hypocrisy at its finest basically it was fine for him to play for northern ireland as it is still on the island of ireland, but declan can sod off etc.
I’m not so sure Gary, he followed the phrase with “wait till we play England”. That suggests to me that he did know the history well enough.
Just grates on me how someone expressing support (even if they don’t genuinely/literally support them) for a terrorist organisation that murdered so many people is excused by most. Yet even a racist joke (let alone a racist insult) would have people calling for his head.
Are you annoyed a kid posted that message or annoyed that you think people take offensive statements towards Brits easier than they do against other races?
I think the rules are wrong, I think Rice is a dick, but, the fact that it has annoyed Mclean has brightened my day
in agreement about the rules as previously stated and do not like the way rice went about it, as its wanker behaviour but mclean is a grade a twat, i think most are in agreement with the mrs ( irish ) included
I'd really love to believe this was as hard for Declan Rice as he is making out. Indeed if I had been lucky enough, (good enough) to have had to make the same decision it would have only been tough had both countries come calling at the same time. I am as fiercely proud of my birth right, as I am of my family heritage. So for me, I guess it would come down to whoever wanted me first and then that would be it.
As it is, this seems quite straight forward to me. When he wasn't deemed good enough, (either by himself or his peers) for his country of birth, he was quite happy to wear the green shirt of his ancestors on the assumption I presume that this would be the only country option he would get.
But then to his credit, he improved, considerably as it turns out, or at least enough to put himself on the radar of the English FA who recognised that he had only played three friendlies for the Republic and therefore could still qualify for England.
The whole O'Neill / Keane saga on top of the FA's interest may well have tipped Rice over the edge but it has been reported that after McCarthy took over Rice had agreed to commit himself to Ireland as recently as December, only for the then FA Technical Director, Dan Ashworth to make a concerted effort to change his mind, which obviously worked.
I wish the young man the very best, he has clearly realised that the current Eire squad is simply not good enough to qualify for any major tournaments for the next few years and is not prepared to wait, although he could have been part of a generation of very promising young players coming through.
As it is, the absence of Declan Rice in the Ireland team will not be the sole reason that nothing much will happen for the Boys In Green in the next few years and his inclusion would also not have heralded a new dawn just yet.
Equally the addition to the England side of Declan Rice will not transform the Three Lions into the footballing stratosphere. he's a handy player and will benefit any team and I genuinely wish him well because I have the luxury of supporting both countries.
My only gripe is the utter b****cks that needs to come out with the decision to try to make it more palatable.
It's good to hear about people's pride in dual nationality/mixed heritage. Do you contribute to both societies ?
Yes, your point?
That's good to hear. In what way do you do it?
I'd still like to know your point before even attempting to summarise what I've managed to do over both sides of the Irish sea for the last 50+ years.
I’m not so sure Gary, he followed the phrase with “wait till we play England”. That suggests to me that he did know the history well enough.
Just grates on me how someone expressing support (even if they don’t genuinely/literally support them) for a terrorist organisation that murdered so many people is excused by most. Yet even a racist joke (let alone a racist insult) would have people calling for his head.
I take your point, but I wish the whole outrage culture would fuck off completely and take the perpetually offended with it. It is beyond tedious and it appears sometimes that we have dug up the corpse of Mary Whitehouse and appointed her the Witchfinder General of political correctness. It is bizarre.
The way I see it, he was a young naive idiot (as he admits himself), but I'm quite happy for that to not be a capital offence.
I'm just thankful that Twatter didn't exist when I was a youngster....let him without sin and all that.....
I love the way McClean has told Rice if he doesn’t wanna play for Ireland then sod off and play for someone else, literally a few days after he went and played for someone else
Told Gary Neville he supports Chelsea and his first ever Chelsea game he went to was against Charlton when Makelele missed pen and scored the rebound. What a player he's turned out to be though, plays a bit like Makelele!
Told Gary Neville he supports Chelsea and his first ever Chelsea game he went to was against Charlton when Makelele missed pen and scored the rebound. What a player he's turned out to be though, plays a bit like Makelele!
Comments
I have had a pretty bad week, 31 years ago Tuesday two comrades and friends of mine were murdered in the troubles, they would have been in their mid 50's now, whilst it seems a lifetime ago its remains so fresh in the memory.
It was the IRA that killed them, but, loyalist Michael Stone to my mind played his part in their death by throwing grenades around Milltown Cemetery a few days earlier.
I seem to spend most of my working life quantifying the losses in the Great War that people often describe as a 'waste of life', that's fair enough and I can understand if not agree with that view.
By the same token I view any life lost in NI as a waste, that's how I feel now anyway, sorry if it causes any offence to anyone, and for derailing the thread, I just needed to get it off my chest.
I'd still like to know your point before even attempting to summarise what I've managed to do over both sides of the Irish sea for the last 50+ years.
The way I see it, he was a young naive idiot (as he admits himself), but I'm quite happy for that to not be a capital offence.
I'm just thankful that Twatter didn't exist when I was a youngster....let him without sin and all that.....
“The Rangers”?
What a player he's turned out to be though, plays a bit like Makelele!
Rice probably my favourite player in the England set up.
Has such a knack of being able to receive the ball in awkward areas, distribute it well, always makes the right decisions.