Roy Keane had a blunt reaction to suggestions of Declan Rice’s international loyalty – only to be proved wrong.
The Arsenal star is one of the first names on the England team sheets these days, but things could have been very different.
The midfielder played for Ireland at youth level and three times for the senior side, but there was always hope he would switch to the Three Lions.
And in 2018 when talk about a switch increased and Rice began making his name at West Ham, Keane, his Ireland coach at the time, was not willing to entertain the idea.
“It’s going to be pretty difficult if he is Irish, and he is Irish,” he replied when the question was put to him. “He plays for Ireland.”
When the reporter asked: “He has given every indication that Ireland is where he wants to play?”
Keane replied: “Yeah, because he is Irish. Where else would he want to go?
“If you had to choose Ireland or England, it is pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Ireland.”
Coming up through the ranks at West Ham as a youngster, Rice was invited to play for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s.
While the midfielder was born in London, his grandparents are from Cork and he quickly became a key player for the youth squads.
An interview has also resurfaced where he said he does one day see himself as a future Ireland captain.
John O’Shea had tipped him as a future national team skipper, and in response he said: “Definitely. He’s been at the top of the game and played with some top, top players. I don’t try to take it on too much, but it is nice. I crack a little smile with him and a joke.
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“Maybe one day I do see myself as a future captain. I do have it in me to tell people and order people around.”
However, in February 2019, Rice pledged his allegiance to England and the change was ratified by FIFA a month later ahead of his debut on March 22 against Czech Republic at Wembley.
“First we had to convince him that it would be a good decision [to switch],” then-manager Gareth Southgate said when discussing Rice.
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“I think that’s being borne out by the tournaments we’ve been in, and the huge matches he’s played in.”
Rice was a key part of England’s Euro 2020 squad, playing in all the games en route to the final and started all five of England’s 2022 World Cup campaign. Since then he has also captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory and sealed a £105m transfer to Arsenal.
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He also started in every Three Lions match at Euro 2024 as they again heartbreakingly missed out in the final, this time to Spain.
Even Keane cannot deny that Rice has evolved into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and his 58 caps for England is just the start.
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