Declan Rice has disclosed the reason why he chose not to celebrate his goal for England against Ireland in their UEFA Nations League B group affair.
Rice, who netted the opener for the Three Lions in the 11th minute with an instantaneous finish inside the penalty area, also felt fans in Dublin were justified to boo him.
Declan Rice’s cold reaction after scoring, included him holding his hands up as if to say sorry to Irish supporters despite being mobbed by his teammates.
Declan Rice And Ireland
The goal by Rice comes 5 years after he switched his international allegiance from Ireland to England in February 2019.
Before opting to represent the Three Lions, Declan Rice featured in 3 friendlies for Ireland but snubbed further call-ups, opting to represent England.
Since switching from Ireland to England, Rice has featured in two European Championship finals as well as a World Cup quarter-final.
He would likely not have witnessed those experiences had he continued to represent Ireland at the international level.
The 25-year-old maintained he was “never” going to celebrate against the nation he previously represented and offered a heartwarming reason for his actions.
Why Did Declan Rice Not Celebrate His Goal Against Ireland?
Rice, during a post-match presser, expressed that it was an amazing feeling for him to score; however, irrespective of finding the back of the net, he did not celebrate due to family reasons.
He said: “Obviously it was an amazing feeling to score, but I was never going to celebrate.
“I have Irish family. My nan and grandad, who are not here anymore, I think it would have been disrespectful to them if I celebrated. My dad was here as well.
“Obviously to score, it was a nice feeling but then I wanted to focus on getting back in the game and try to score more goals.”
Interestingly, Rice’s muted celebration was in contrast to his England teammate Jack Grealish, who is a former Ireland youth international.
Grealish provided the 2nd for England against Ireland in the 26th minute and was seen ecstatic after scoring despite representing Ireland at under-17, under-18, and under-21 levels.
Irish fans showed their displeasure to both players during the game, as every of their touch was booed while some held flags aloft depicting Rice’s face next to pictures of a snake.
Declan Rice Felt The Irish Fans Had Every Right To React They Way They Did
Rice revealed he and Grealish did not discuss about the reception they were expecting to receive before the Nations League encounter, as the former felt Irish fans had every right to react however they wished.
The Arsenal man said: “I think we’ve seen so much stuff recently. This happened six or seven years ago.
“It’s such a long time ago now. I get on really well with a lot of the Irish boys. There’s nothing hard done by me. Obviously the fans feel a certain way and that’s absolutely fine.”
Rice, who had also represented Ireland at Under 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 levels, has made 59 appearances for England, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists.
England return to action on September 10, 2024, facing Finland in a UEFA Nations League A group clash, and Declan Rice will certainly be aiming to put up another stellar display in the middle of the park.
