Declan Rice has issued a surprising response to James McClean after the Republic of Ireland star labelled the England man ‘overrated’.
The Arsenal midfielder played alongside McClean for Ireland at senior level due to his Irish Grandparents, making three appearances under former boss Martin O’Neill.
Rice was later approached to turn out for England after impressing at both club and international level and switched allegiances to the country of his birth in 2019.
The decision angered McClean at the time and explained that any other player thinking of treading the same path as Rice can ‘sod off and play for someone else’.
Speaking in 2019, McClean continued: “He said he was a proud Irishman. Then he said he was a proud Englishman. If he’s both… good luck to him but I don’t buy it. I think you’re either one or the other.”
It appears that McClean’s animosity towards Rice shows no signs of simmering after recent comments made during his Euro 2024 punditry role on Irish television.
“I think Declan Rice is very overrated,” said the Wrexham star told RTE Sport. “Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a very good footballer, but the way the English media wax lyrical about him is completely over the top.
“For me, he’s not world-class. To me, world-class is someone who gets in every side in the world. I don’t think he does that.
“I don’t think he gets in the Man City side ahead of Rodri. I know Toni Kroos is now retiring, but to me Toni Kroos is world-class. [Kroos] dictates the game, Rodri dictates the game, I don’t think Rice does that.
“He’s good at what he does. He sees danger and puts out fires, but for the hype that surrounds him, I don’t think it’s justified.”
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Rice was asked to respond to McClean’s comments ahead of Tuesday’s final Euro 2024 group game against Slovenia.
And while Sam Allardyce had a stinging message for McClean for his claims, Rice took a more diplomatic approach.
“Do you know what? I played with James for Ireland for three games and I got on with him really well,” Rice told reporters.
“I am not going to sit here and slag him off. I thought he was a really top guy. When I left Ireland to come to England, I heard a few things he was obviously not happy about. He made comments a few years ago.
“It is what it is. I am not going to sit here and say anything about him. He’s had a great career himself – I think he is coming to the end of his career now and he’s got over a hundred caps for Ireland.
“It would be easy for me to sit here and say something back to him but, like I said, we are at opposite ends of our careers now – he’s 35 and I’m 25.
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“I’ve known him, I’ve played with him, he’s entitled to his opinion and I’ve had to fight a load of those opinions from other people before.”
Rice continued: “It might be a bit of bitterness towards me not playing for Ireland but I’ve not got a bad word to say about him, to be honest. I see the comments but I don’t try to put too much energy into it.
“It is what it is and you move on. You live and learn.”