We thought we had it bad when Conor Gallagher, then of Chelsea, refused to celebrate a goal against Crystal Palace after a season-long loan spell at Selhurst Park. But as articulated by my colleague Kate Rowan, the complexities of national identity are personal and Rice outlined his thinking after the game. “My nan and grandad on my Dad’s side are all Irish and they’re not here any more,” said Rice. “To celebrate it would have been really disrespectful of me with them not being here any more and them being my Dad’s parents. I didn’t want to do that.
“I had such an amazing time playing for Ireland, they were great memories that live with me. I don’t have a bad word to say.”
Such respect was a good deal more than Rice got from the crowd at the Aviva Stadium who booed him every time he received the ball, along with Jack Grealish, the other once-Irish defector to England.
There was another incident left in the game for Rice to display his conflicting feelings. When captain Harry Kane was substituted he initially offered the armband to Rice but he turned it down.