What did you want o Neill to do? Blindfold rice and dress is in white kits and sneak him onto the field ?
He’s English. What in the name of Jesus Christ do you want him playing for Ireland for ?
Lawrenson was probably up there as the best centre-back in England at his peak tbf.
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I want him playing for Ireland cos he’s good. Declan Rice played U16, U17, U19 and U21 for Ireland. He allowed himself be called up to the Ireland squad several times (presumably un-blindfolded). He took the field for Ireland.
Now, I don’t actually blame Rice for switching at all, but O’Neill should have capped him whilst he cleary was willing to play for Ireland
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This brings to mind the case of Stuart McCall who was selected for both England and Scotland under-21 teams in 1984 and against his better judgment was persuaded to declare for England. McCall once recounted this story in a feature in Shoot magazine. He was a substitute and was told to go and warm up to get ready for what would have been a minute or two’s action which would have tied him to England forever. McCall by this stage regretted his decision and wanted to play for his parents’ country. He ran far away from the dugout and stayed there, fiddling with his boots, and successfully used up enough time that the final whistle blew before he could be brought on. He then changed his allegiance to Scotland.
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He was still playing second/third division football when he got capped initially.
Jesus wept did you read up on it at all?
Rices agent was aware he couldn’t switch if he played competitively so he didn’t.
The agent himself contacted Southgate at end of his season just after he made his debut for West Ham.
He was never going to play competitively unless England didn’t want him.
Ray Houghton is on record as saying Scotland would have been his first choice to play international football for.
Alex Ferguson is to blame for letting him slip through Scotland’s fingers.
None of that absolves MON
If either rice or grealish got capped they’d end up retiring after four games.
I know that but he didn’t stop playing out of sourness after he’d won 3 or 4 league titles.
And Lawrenson is way less Irish than Rice.
I think if Rice had played the amount of games that made him ineligible, he’d have continued playing for Ireland alright. Less sure on Grealish.
Source?
I feel that would have been unlikely.
You keep referencing Stephen Ireland. Stephen Ireland quit playing for Ireland because he was a very mixed up young fella with issues which before long sent a very promising career as a top level club footballer into a permanent tailspin. It wasn’t just his international career which ended. His club career pretty much did too.
Mark Lawrenson won multiple European Cups and English League titles. I never saw him play personally but by all accounts he was an absolute Rolls Royce. Not a garbage player. Andy Townsend went on to captain Ireland. There’s literally no examples of English born players who represented Ireland who were only capped twice and didn’t bother playing after that. I’m fairly sure Rice and Grealish would have just got on with it and played for us. But at the end of the day they are English and had every right to choose their home country.
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All club players are under pressure to skip international duty.
When it came out rice and grealish were forced to play for a country they didn’t want to what do you think would have happened?
There is no example of English lads presenting Ireland who at the time were good enough to play for England.
Let the English play for England.
Give one example where a player has retired from international football out of spite in similar circumstances?
Ica nacewa. Was conned into playing for Fiji.
In football
Also cite your source for the retirement claim?
Obviously, in an ideal world, you would have a team full of players who really want to play for Ireland (regardless of where they were born).
Ireland is not a massively-populous country but it does have a very significant diaspora with a relatively strong sense of national pride. In footballing terms, that’s a massive asset.
However, once a player is capped, you’d hope that they buy into “playing for the group”. Some players see international football as a chore (it’s something that used be a problem for England although it’s one thing Southgate does seem to have brought) but tbf, Ireland have often had players who play way above themselves at international level compared to their club ability.
But when we’re so lacking in midfield quality, I would have heavily pursued an English-born creative midfielder and hope that they buy in.
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Why do you think two lads who don’t want to play for Ireland would happily have played for Ireland after being forced against their will to be capped.
Both rejected opportunities to come into the squad on a number of occasions.
It’s one of the most bizarre takes in Irish sports.