Declan Rice has three senior caps for Ireland. He's been involved in Irish squads since he was 16 years old. He is, as an international footballer, Irish.
Yet today, he is not in Martin O'Neill's squad for the upcoming games with Wales and Poland because he's "deliberating" after England have made contact with him about changing his allegiance.
It appears to make little sense, given he has played three times for Ireland, that he is still allowed to play for England, but because of FIFA's "competitive game" eligibility rule, he can switch sides, thus humiliating his teammates, his manager, and Irish football in general.
Undoubtedly for Rice, this is a personal decision. For professional footballers, it is as much about business as anything else. We can't expect sentimentality. Ireland are also a country who have a net gain from eligibility rules over the years, and were lucky to be able to call on a player like Rice in the first place.
But fair is fair. When is it time to move on and say that battle has been lost? FIFA appear happy for international football to be about the lure of sponsorship deals as much as anything else.
Declan Rice's Irish bona fides are strong. His grandparents are from Cork. He declared with Ireland at a young age, and was brought into the senior squad at just 18.
A year ago, Rice seemed in no doubt about where his future lie.
It’s nice to get the call-up to go away with the U21s and I can’t wait to meet up with the lads. I trained with the senior squad and I know Martin O’Neill is keeping an eye on my progress, so hopefully I can play well and get myself into his squad.
Since then, his rise has been meteoric. He earned three senior caps in friendly games for Ireland against Turkey, USA and France, and established himself in the West Ham team. In January, Gareth Southgate first threw a spanner in the works by saying he was monitoring the situation. This led Rice to assure the FAI he was committed to Ireland and by making senior debut against Turkey, it seemed as much of a statement as anything else that the decision as been made. Back off England.
Why then, if that decision had been made, is the door still open to England to approach Rice and change his mind?
If friendlies, official international games, with caps and working ranking consequences, counted as a binding appearance, the FA wouldn't have had the opportunity to turn his head for a second time.
We went through this with Jack Grealish a couple of years ago. Grealish, who has yet to win an England cap, did the same dance with Ireland before deciding to to go with his country of birth. He, at least, never played a senior game for Ireland.
With Rice, we all feared repeat business, but he has made all the right noises up until now and appeared unequivocal. Watching him earn his second cap in Paris before the World Cup, it seemed to have gone too far. He could surely never play for another team now. He was a vital cog in a fresh, new team.
This is unexpected and sickening blow. One that should be never have been allowed to happen.
It's worth noting that all we know at this point is that Rice isn't in the Ireland squad for the upcoming games, and what Martin O'Neill has told us.
He is still deliberating. He is a young man. England have spoken to him. He is taking time to make his mind up. He has done brilliantly for us. I'm giving him a little bit of time.
I wouldn't be exaggerating to say Declan has loved it with us. After the Turkey game his father was there and it was a joyous moment for them. We have done everything we can. He has been welcomed by the squad, the fans. He is taking time and I am respecting that.
So Declan Rice may yet play for Ireland, but can he come back from this?
I’d rather be ranked 150th in the world and never qualify again than have someone who has played, but needs time to THINK whether they should play for us again. Well done to MON for transparency. https://t.co/6oXlwXEpaP
— Kevin Kilbane (@kdkilbane77) August 27, 2018
Can he be ushered back into a squad he has left because he wasn't committed to the country they represent? Martin O'Neill at this juncture appears willing to placate him. Ireland don't have many better options with a player of his talent but to wait, and hope.
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