Declan Rice is said to be moving closer to deciding that his international future lies with England rather than Ireland.
Amid a report from Matt Lawton and Matt Barlow in today's Daily Mail about Rice's ongoing contract negotiations with West Ham comes a line which will pique those interested in the 19-year-old's international allegiance.
Rice's advisors insist that he is yet to make any decision but Sportsmail sources say he is leaning towards playing for Gareth Southgate's side.
The first solid rumblings regarding a possible switch of allegiance for Rice are now a month old. He was omitted from the Ireland squad for the games against Wales and Poland with Martin O'Neill saying the player was still deliberating over where his future lies in the international game.
London born, Rice qualifies to play for Ireland through his grandparents. He has three Ireland caps to his name. All of those coming in friendlies - he made his debut against Turkey back in March - means the player is still eligible to play for England.
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
