Declan Rice (foto: Getty Images)
Two ‘Irish’ players in England’s starting lineup sunk Ireland in the first half in the middle of Dublin! One celebrated his goal, while the other refused to honor it.
Before the match between Ireland and England kicked off today, when the stadium announcer called out "No. 4 – Declan Rice," loud boos echoed through the stands. The same happened with Jack Grealish. The reason? In his younger years, Declan Rice played three friendly matches for Ireland’s senior national team before switching allegiance to England.
Grealish also played numerous times for Ireland’s U21 team, although he never made a senior appearance for them. Both started today’s match in the starting eleven.
Fate had it that in the 11th minute, Declan Rice silenced the home crowd with a goal! He scored brilliantly from inside the box, giving the Three Lions an early lead. Interestingly, he chose not to celebrate the goal, which is rare.
We are used to seeing this in club football when players, out of respect for their former clubs and fans, refrain from celebrating. However, Rice has now brought this trend to the international stage. That’s not all: Jack Grealish also found the back of the net! The Manchester City player scored in the 26th minute. Unlike Rice, Grealish celebrated his goal.
At the moment, England leads 2-0, and not even 30 minutes have passed in the match. Ireland is in big trouble. They didn’t start poorly, but the English found their rhythm quickly.