Martin O’Neill, the former manager of the Republic of Ireland, has stated that he is indifferent to Jack Grealish and Declan Rice’s decision to switch their international allegiance to England.
Jack Grealish previously represented Ireland at under-17, under-18, and under-21 levels, but he declined multiple senior call-ups from O’Neill before committing to England in 2015.
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Similar to Grealish, Rice played for Ireland at various youth levels and earned three caps for the senior team under O’Neill, though all were in friendly matches.
Due to FIFA regulations at the time, Rice was eligible to switch national allegiance after featuring in three or fewer non-competitive matches.
Despite O’Neill’s attempts, Rice chose to represent England in 2019.
If O’Neill had had his way, both players would have enjoyed the support of the Dublin fans when Ireland faces England on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.
Nonetheless, both players, along with interim England manager Lee Carsley, who previously played 40 times for Ireland, may face a chilly reception.
While O’Neill did everything possible to assure Rice and Grealish of their importance to Ireland, he recognized that both, having been born and raised in England, were more inclined to represent the Three Lions.
Reflecting on this issue six years after leaving his post, O’Neill remarked that he is largely unaffected by their decisions and even articulated why he believes they were justified.
« Honestly, I couldn’t care less, » O’Neill said during an appearance on talkSPORT with Jim White and Simon Jordan.
« If I did care, I’d think, ‘Rice chose England, what a poor choice that was!’ He has reached a couple of Euro finals, while the Republic of Ireland hasn’t won a single game in that span.
« To be fair, Jack’s father is English. At least I picked Rice for three games, and he performed well in those matches. »
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« I would have preferred him to choose differently, but deep down, he was always going to pick England. The same is true for Jack Grealish; despite representing Ireland at youth levels, the final decision would always favor England. »
O’Neill’s remarks come two years after he expressed why he believed it was unlikely for Grealish and Rice to ever commit to Ireland.
« You can’t force players into international roles. Rice had three excellent appearances for us, but it’s clear: Declan Rice wanted to play for England, » O’Neill explained on talkSPORT in 2022.
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« He was born in England, which makes it simple. You can’t bring someone into a competitive international fixture without them committing their future to that country.
“That was never an option, and you can’t coerce players into participating in these matches. Jack Grealish experienced similar circumstances when I first became Ireland’s manager. I spoke with Grealish and his father, who, by the way, is also English. Although Jack enjoyed playing for Ireland’s youth teams, when the time came to decide, Jack and his father ultimately chose to go in a different direction.”
O’Neill noted that both players understood the eligibility rules concerning international play, highlighting the challenges he faced in persuading Rice and Grealish to choose Ireland.
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« The players are aware of the regulations, as are their fathers. It’s very straightforward, so the criticism of not persuading two players to play for Ireland while they are now with England is misplaced,” O’Neill said.
« I wouldn’t have attempted such a thing, and Declan would have been fully aware of it, so he never would have considered it either.
“Had Gareth Southgate indicated that Rice had little chance of playing over the next five years, then perhaps a conversation would have occurred; however, that was never the case. »
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Since committing to England, Rice has made 58 appearances and played a crucial role in leading the team to the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Although Grealish announced his intent to play for England in 2015, he made his international debut only in 2020.
The Manchester City player has appeared 36 times for England but faced exclusion from previous England manager Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.
Despite a slow start to the current season, Grealish has been recalled to the England squad under Carsley as he aims to regain his form.
https://talksport.com/football/2033037/martin-oneill-declan-rice-jack-grealish-ireland-england/
