LESS than a year after making his international debut for the Republic of Ireland, early hopes that Declan Rice could enjoy a long career in the green jersey have finally been extinguished.
The long-running ‘will he/won’t he’ saga came to an end yesterday afternoon when the West Ham player announced he had submitted a written request to Fifa for the transfer of his international registration from the Republic to England.
The 20-year-old was born in London but qualified for the Republic via paternal grandparents and, after playing at youth level, went on to make three senior appearances - all in friendly matches, against Turkey last March, then France and the USA.
However, Irish fans have feared this day would come ever since Rice asked to be left out of the squad for last August’s Uefa Nations League opener with Wales, following an approach from England and Gareth Southgate.
And yesterday the 20-year-old confirmed, via a lengthy statement, that he instead saw his future with last summer’s World Cup semi-finalists.
"This has been an extremely difficult decision and, in all honesty, not one I ever expected to be making at this stage of my career,” he said.
The statement released by current Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy, who replaced Martin O’Neill last November, wasn’t quite so long.
"Declan rang me today and said he has decided to give it a go with England. Good luck to him."
Despite request the transfer of his international registration, Rice insists he does not expect an automatic England call-up.
Born in London, the 20-year-old qualified for the Republic of Ireland via paternal grandparents.
After playing at youth level, Rice went on to make three senior appearances last year, all in friendly matches.
However, speculation over his long-term international future mounted on the back of breaking into the West Ham first team and becoming a regular in Manuel Pellegrini's side this season.
Under Fifa rules, Rice is entitled to change allegiance as he has not represented the Republic in a senior competitive international - following in the footsteps of Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, who switched to England in 2015.
In a lengthy statement posted on his official Twitter account yesterday, Rice announced his intentions, having "discussed the situation with the people who mean the most to me" as well as speaking to former Republic chief Martin O'Neill, current manager Mick McCarthy and England boss Gareth Southgate.
Rice, however, has no guarantees of being drafted into Southgate’s plans as he prepares for both the Nations League semi-finals this summer as well as the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
"I would like to make it clear that, in requesting to transfer my national team representation, I am not taking for granted a call-up to the England squad or making any assumptions about my future international career," Rice said.
"However, out of respect for the Republic of Ireland, I felt it was right to announce this decision now and put an end to the speculation.
"I am still only 20 years old and there is a long road ahead of me. For now, my focus remains entirely on establishing myself as a Premier League player with West Ham United and working as hard as possible to improve and be successful.
"In football, and in life, I have always tried to be completely honest and true to myself and my family at all times, and that is what I will continue to do."
Rice maintained he was "just as proud of my family's Irish heritage and my affinity and connection with the country", stressing the difficulty of his choice, which was "not a clear-cut, simple selection."
He said: "I fully accept that some Irish supporters will be disappointed by my decision, and that everyone has different opinions in regard to the rules around international representation.
"However, I hope that people can understand that I have made this decision with honesty, integrity and the full support of my family.
"My pride at wearing the Irish shirt was always 100 per cent genuine. It was a great honour for myself and my family, and something I will always cherish."
The midfielder added: "Ultimately, it is a personal decision that I have made with my heart and my head, based on what I believe is best for my future."
