England midfielder Declan Rice opened the scoring against Ireland in the UEFA Nations League but did not celebrate amidst boos from resounding Irish fans, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday.
Rice, who played three senior internationals for Ireland before switching his allegiance to England in 2019 and the shift has been a sore spot for Irish fans since, who turned up in numbers at the stadium and booed every touch of the Arsenal midfielder.
In the 11th minute, Rice struck for the Three Lions, giving his side the lead in Lee Carsley’s first match as England manager after the resignation of Gareth Southgate.
WHY ARE FANS BOOING DECLAN RICE?Rice has played senior international football for Ireland before switching to England. FIFA allows switching of allegiance if a player has not played at the senior level for a particular country in competitive tournaments.
Rice was not the only member of the England squad to have previously played for Ireland. Jack Grealish added salt into those wounds when he scored the second goal, 15 minutes later.
England’s Jack Grealish celebrates scoring their second goal against Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
England’s Jack Grealish celebrates scoring their second goal against Ireland in the UEFA Nations League. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Grealish had also represented the Republic at the junior level and unlike Rice, he ran to the away stands to celebrate with the English fans.
The Irish fans have been vocal about their discontent regarding Rice and Grealish playing for England. One banner had pictures of the two midfielders alongside the words, “The snakes are back.”
England, which lost to Spain in the 2024 European Championships final, opened the Nations League group stage against Ireland, and leads the standings with a two-goal margin at the moment.
