Ireland Vs England: Declan Rice Declines To Celebrate after Scoring Against Ireland In UEFA Nations League

New Delhi:  England midfielder Declan Rice scored against Ireland in the UEFA Nations League at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, with many Irish fans booing him for the action.

Rice had played three senior internationals for Ireland before switching allegiance to England in 2019 – also a bugbear for Irish fans – listened to boos from the large crowd in the stadium, reacting to every touch of the Arsenal midfielder.

In the 11th minute, Rice scored for the Three Lions, giving England the lead in Lee Carsley’s debut match as manager, following Gareth Southgate’s resignation.

Rice had represented Ireland in senior international football before he decided to make the switch to England. That is allowed under FIFA rules if a player has not appeared in competitive senior tournaments for the country where he was originally representing.

Rice was not the only England player with a history in Irish football; Jack Grealish exacerbated the situation by scoring the second goal 15 minutes later.

Grealish, who had represented the Republic of Ireland at the junior level, celebrated his goal by running to the away stands to join the English fans, in contrast to Rice’s more restrained approach.

Irish fans have been vocal about their discontent with Rice and Grealish representing England. One banner displayed images of the two midfielders with the phrase, “The snakes are back.”

England, which was defeated by Spain in the 2024 European Championships final, began the Nations League group stage against Ireland and currently leads the standings with a two-goal advantage.