Promising defender Declan Rice prefer England above Ireland

Declan Rice, the 20-year-old defensive midfielder of West Ham United, is no longer available for the Irish national team. He chooses for a career in the shirt of England, he made Wednesday known.

Rice was born in London but has Irish roots. The jeugdproduct Chelsea played last year, three times in a friendly of the Irish national team but now choose the English colours to defend.

“Declan has given me called today and said that he wanted to try in England. I wish him much luck,” says the Irish coach Mick McCarthy on the website of the FAI.

Rice, a basisspeler at West Ham, reacts itself through the social media. He calls his choice for England “an extremely difficult decision”. “I’ve chosen with my head and my heart. I believe that this is best for my future,” he says. “I’m only twenty and I still have a long way to go. Now, I’m focusing entirely on West Ham and try as much as possible, to improve.”