Declan Rice’s desire to play for England national team okayed by FIFA

Declan Rice’s transfer of international allegiance from the republic of Ireland to England has been approved by football governing body FIFA

Gareth Southgate,England’s manager is now free to select the West Ham midfielder who has in the recent past been impressive pulling massive interests from other teams and is likely going to be moving in the summer move transfers.

Rice played for the Boys in Green at underage level before winning three senior international caps.

His change of mind has been well-documented and the 20-year-old will now be hoping to be included in the England squad for their Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro this month.

Rice recently described the decision as the toughest one he’s had to make so far. “It is the toughest decision I have had to make so far in my career.

“Being so young, I didn’t think I would ever be in a position to make that call but it’s one that I have made and one that I am looking forward to in the future.”

Mick McCarthy recently revealed he never really believed Rice would stay with Ireland.


“In my own mind, I never thought he was coming with us,” stated McCarthy at the launch of the FAI’s new long term ticket membership scheme.

“I kept getting little vibes from different clubs and players and stuff that had been talked about so it was no surprise, I just wanted the decision and then I could stop talking about him.

“I was talking at that level (last month) because I had a small hope he was actually going to stay with us.”But I’d known for two months that he wasn’t joining us, all I needed was it confirmed.

“You might say ‘how did I know that?’ I just got a feeling, having met and spoken to him.”All he had to do was say ‘yeah I’m staying with you guys, I’m playing’.

“Once he hadn’t done that when I met him in December, I was very doubtful.”But I was not going to say that, I wasn’t going to put words in his mouth.

“And I wasn’t going to leave it open for anyone to say I had driven him away because I hadn’t, that’s for sure, and just continue to wait for an answer.

“But when he told me, I’d known for a couple of months.”


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