England midfielder Declan Rice has opened up on scoring against Ireland after being booed by large sections of the home support in Saturday’s Nations League clash in Dublin.
England began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Ireland, with goals from Rice and Jack Grealish in the first half at the Aviva Stadium.
Both Rice and Grealish had previously played for Ireland before switching their international allegiance to England. London-born Rice, eligible for Ireland through his paternal grandparents from Cork, played three times for Ireland’s senior team before transferring to England in 2018. Since then, he has earned 59 caps and scored four goals for the Three Lions, including the opener on Saturday.
Birmingham-born Grealish, whose three grandparents are Irish, also switched his allegiance and celebrated his goal with enthusiasm. He pumped his fist towards the England fans and gestured toward the Ireland supporters, a clear message to the fans of his former national team.
In the tunnel after the match, Rice shared his thoughts on scoring against Ireland and assisting Grealish for the second goal. He commented, “I haven’t seen it back yet, but I’ve heard it was a great finish. I made the run from back to front, which is one of my strengths. If you don’t make those runs, you don’t score.”
Rice described his experience of setting up Grealish’s goal and then scoring himself as a “really nice feeling.” Looking ahead to England’s next Nations League match against Finland on Tuesday, Rice expressed excitement about playing under interim manager Lee Carsley.
“It’s good to be back,” he said. “This week has been refreshing and really positive. We’re eager to continue building on this momentum and are looking forward to returning to Wembley. Finland will be a tough challenge, but we’re prepared and ready to go again.”
