Declan Rice - Signs 5 1/2 year deal (or does he...)

Hamstew

I don't think it's a better fit for him at all. He's one of the Brightest prospects this country has at the moment in a position that we are woefully short of talent in. No disrespect to Ireland but there is a lot more chance of him playing in tournaments so can't understand why Ireland would he a better fit unless he felt more Irish. I do feel for Ireland though especially having Irish blood myself.

grey_til_I_dye

steve

tbh, I'd be more disappointed in him (like he's bothered...) if he'd chosen either of the teams for footballing reasons.

I hope he is, as he says, following his heart.

Lukerz

And now the tapping up can properly begin...

Vorselaarhammer

Why didn't he choose France or Germany much better chance to win something..

Hammerwombat

Good luck Declan. Irish or English I think you are class. You do what’s right for you, and I wish you success in an England shirt, should you get picked.




Which, let’s face it, you will ;biggrin

DJ Hammer

I have absolutely no interest in international football but it’s his decision and in my opinion the right one. Good luck to you Declan.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

Kevin Kilbane has already said his bit....

While I understand the frustration of the Irish and it is a loss for them, I can see why Rice did this, he really wants to test himself and there is nothing wrong with that.

The problem lies in the rules, for me once you’ve pulled on that senior jersey and got the cap, you’ve made your decision and should be held to it

Bazshuayi

Whatever anyones hopes and feelings are regarding Declans choices, the fact is that playing for England over Ireland has obvious benefits. If it genuinely is where his heart is then all the better.

I dont get why a retired player feels the need to knock a young lad though purely because hes made a decision that Kilbane doesnt like. I obviously get that for the Irish hes a massive loss as hes the stand out very young British DefMid player. McCarthy showed class wishing him good luck. He tried hard and fair play to him for that but the lure of England I felt was always going to be too strong a pull

SuzanneClaret

I am disappointed (even as an English woman with no link to Ireland).

The next 'phase' from the press is - when Rice is not actually selected to play for England - will be that he has to move clubs.

thornburyiron

Sadly that last sentence may well be true

OldCastleSwift

There's no way Southgate can't select him. He is far and away (in my opinon, at least) Engalnd's best option at DM. He is better in that role than Dier and Henderson.

If he doesn't get a call up, it can only be an anti-West Ham agenda.

MrsGrey

I think he's at least due a call up to the squad for training. Give him a chance.

I wouldn't expect to see him automatically selected to play, and if he wasn't I could see plausible reasons other than anti-West Ham bias. ;ok

Bazshuayi

Even thought I'd love Rice to stay, ever since his rise (and projection to rise appreciably further) he's been noticed and the big clubs will come calling at some point. The only positives for us are the time before that comes and the hope that our club will squeeze ever penny we can for his TF. That hug fee will hopefully put the club in a healthier position and could well fund a stronger squad eventually. Rice is a gift we got for nothing and his fee will hopefully bring in multiple strong players. Maybe we'll luck out and find another Rice (and repeat the whole scenario). These days, if you aren't a top 4 club or similar, theres an inevitability that your best will leave, just a question of when. The crucial thing for a club of our size is to be smart with our transfers and our scouting or we'll go backwards.

This makes me treasure even more past seasons when money wasn't such a massive factor and the likes of Brooking stayed with us for their whole career

Hamstew

I very much doubt he won't get a call up. I imagine Southgate's chat would have been as good as a call up providing he stays fit

Bazshuayi

As an aside (before someone calls me on it), the 'hug fee' is not as much as a 'huge fee' would be but it feels physically a lot nicer ;wink

Yeoldhammer

Playing for England increases his transfer fee by another 25m

Pearces_Left_Foot

I might actually fancy watching England if he plays ;biggrin

Expat_Hammer

Maybe he doesn't want to leave WHU

;pray

Hamstew

Sooner or later if we are to progress we need to start building a team with players of his quality rather than selling them on.

grey_til_I_dye

Ham

That would be in an ideal world.

However, I'm sure Spurs fans would have been saying that about Bale.

If (as is probable) players of the quality of Rice get courted by the very top clubs, the best we can do is make sure they pay top, top dollar, and reinvest the proceeds on the right players.

alderz

grey_til_I_dye said:

Ham

That would be in an ideal world.

However, I'm sure Spurs fans would have been saying that about Bale.

If (as is probable) players of the quality of Rice get courted by the very top clubs, the best we can do is make sure they pay top, top dollar, and reinvest the proceeds on the right players.

Man Utd thought it about Ronaldo, Chelsea fans think it about Hazard, Barcelona thought it about Neymar

Hamstew

Grey interesting you mention Spurs as I think they are a team who have done this well in getting players in growing them and becoming a top 6 team themselves. Now I'm going to go burn my clothes and have an ice cold shower.

SuzanneClaret

Here, have some of this for your mouth...

grey_til_I_dye

Ham

But they had to go through the sell to buy phase first.

Now, when they find a youth player good enough for the team, he is in competition with other top players, and in a team that is pushing for major honours.

Hamstew

True true but they did waste most of the Bale dosh on rubbish. I think the only player that has ended up being a great player is Erikson. Can't remember when Ali was purchased.

grey_til_I_dye

Ham

They did, indeed, but over time they got it right.

Painful as it may be, i think we have to consider Spurs as our likely model.

We're not going to get funded by a spendthrift billionaire, so we will only improve by selling on players at a profit, and finding their equivalents at a cheaper rate.

This, inevitably, will mean that there are failures as well as successes.

westcoastiron

Now that I am on the West Coast of Ireland rather than the USA, thought you might like to see one local reaction here. Can’t decide if it’s a pun or not ....

Fortuneseeker

Kilbane never has anything good to say about West Ham so I will ignore his moan if that is ok with everyone. ;ok

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

Now Andy Townsend is at it, you know this Andy Townsend....who was born in Maidstone and grew up in Bexleyheath is fuming at Declan Rice being allowed to make a personal decision over his future.

Townsend's own Wikipedia page describes him as being "about as Irish as Nelson Mandela."

Kilbane born in Preston, where’s Lawrenson and Cascarino have they piped up yet?

;lol

grey_til_I_dye

That isn't what I saw, Slizzy.

From what I read, Townsend was criticising the system, allowing people to swap:

I think once you have made the decision to play for a team, that should be it and you should get on with it.

rather than Deccers specifically.

"But he's made his call and that's his decision."

is all I could see that he had said about Rice.

It isn't for you, or anyone else, to judge or decide what nationality someone identifies with.

I have no idea whether Townsend played for the Republic out of a genuine feeling of Irishness, or as the only way that he could get International football, but where he was born has nothing to do with it, imo.