There was bad news today for Irish manager Mick McCarthy.

After months of apparent indecision, the promising young West Ham centre-midfielder Declan Rice today declared his intention to play for England. Rice had played three times for Ireland, under previous manager Martin O’Neill – but none of these had been in competitive matches, creating a situation where he was in a position to change allegiance. Rice – who has made rapid progress through the ranks to establish himself as a regular with the London side – was, according to reports, put under considerable pressure by the owners of West Ham to play for England.

While the recently appointed Irish manager Mick McCarthy had been hopeful that Rice would pledge his allegiance to Ireland, following a meeting with the player and his father, that prospect has now been definitively dashed.

There are many who will blame Martin O’Neill and his management team for not moving quickly enough to bring Rice fully within the senior fold. Clearly, where a player has dual qualifications, there is an imperative to ensure that the future is secured. Having an eye on the future is an important consideration, but clearly there is little point in lamenting the loss of the player too loudly. However, the lesson should be learned. There are games in any qualification schedule which allow for the blooding of future prospects.
Declan Rice issued a statement today, the full text of which reads:

"So much has happened, so quickly, in the past couple of years, from progressing through the West ham Academy to making my Premier League debut at the age of 18 in 2017 and then being named in the full international squad just two days later."

Rice said he was "truly grateful" for the support he has received in coming to his decision and insisted it was never a black and white decision.

"Like so many people around the world, I consider myself to be of mixed nationality. I am a proud Englishman, having been born and raised in London. However, I am just as proud of my family’s Irish heritage and my affinity and connection with the country.

"I have equal respect and love for both England and Ireland and therefore the national team I choose to represent is not a clear-cut, simple selection. Particularly not for a young lad who never dreamed of being in this position.

"Ultimately it is a personal decision that I have made with my heart and my head based on what I believe is best for my future."

In response, Mick McCarthy wished Rice luck. "Declan rang me today,” he stated, "and said he has decided to give it a go with England. Good luck to him."