Jack Grealish returns to Dublin on Saturday evening as England take on Ireland in the first match of this years Nations League group B.
Grealish, who represented Ireland at youth level and earned six Irish U-21 caps before switching allegiance to England, could expect to come in for some abuse from home fans in Saturday's Nations League match.
Manchester City's Grealish starred in England's Wembley friendly win over the Republic of Ireland in 2020 but has not faced the 'Boys in Green' in Dublin since changing allegiance.
The soon to be 29 year-old has gone on to win 36 caps for the Three Lions and was surprisingly omitted from this Summer's Euro 2024 squad under Gareth Southgate.
Léigh an scéal SEO as Gaeilge anseo.
READ HERE: Rio Ferdinand Calls Out Jamie Carragher On Twitter For "Disrespectful" Comments
Robinson Expects Hostile Aviva Reception Awaiting Grealish
It's well-known that Callum Robinson and Jack Grealish are childhood friends. The pair came through the youth ranks at Aston Villa and Robinson says the 28-year-old will be "expecting" some "abuse" from the Irish fans on Saturday.
5 March 2014; Jack Grealish, Republic of Ireland, in action against Nemanja Gojacanin, Montenegro. UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifier, Republic of Ireland v Montenegro, Tallaght Stadium, Tallaght, Co. Dublin. Picture credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE
I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t because he gets booed anywhere he goes, even in England. So he’ll be getting ready for a bit of abuse [on Saturday].
But that’s part of it. He’s old enough and being a senior player, that stuff is going to come. He gets it in England games anyway, or games in the Premier League. I don’t think there will be any change on Saturday.
This month has seen both players return to their international sides, with Robinson earning a first call-up since November, while Grealish returns to Lee Carsley’s England set-up having surprisingly been omitted from the Euro 2024 squad under Gareth Southgate.
Fellow England International Declan Rice, who was born in London but whose grandparents are from Cork, also played for Ireland and won three caps for the senior side in friendlies in 2018 before switching to England may also expect to receive a hostile reception from the Landsdowne Road crowd.
23 Irish players trained in Abbotstown yesterday with Séamus Coleman and Andrew Omobamidele sitting it out as they are nursing knocks but should be available for the weekend.
