England captain Harry Kane expects England duo Jack Grealish and Declan Rice to receive “a bit of stick” from Republic of Ireland fans during their UEFA Nations League clash in Dublin on Saturday.
The old rivals will face each other in League B Group 2 after the Three Lions were relegated last time out.
England return to action for the first time since their defeat in the Euro 2024 final with Lee Carsley taking charge of the team following the departure of Gareth Southgate this summer. These stories won’t be the only ones focused on heading into the Ireland game, as Jack Grealish and Declan Rice will be in the spotlight.
The England duo represented Ireland in the past at youth levels, while the Arsenal star also made senior appearances before deciding to switch his allegiance to England.
Both players’ decisions have not gone down well with Irish fans, especially Rice, given that the Ireland squad has given them the opportunity to develop on the international stage throughout their youth careers.
The duo will face a hostile atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and England captain Harry Kane is also hoping it will be.
Harry Kane expects Jack Grealish and Declan Rice to get “some stick” from Ireland fans
Speaking to the press ahead of England’s clash with Ireland on Saturday, Kane was asked about the atmosphere he expects Grealish and Rice to find in Dublin.
“It’s going to be a hostile environment. Everyone has different career paths, everyone has decisions to make on their journey to be the best they can be and that’s what Declan and Jack have done,” the Bayern Munich star said via the Irish Independent.
“There may be some stick, but that’s part of football, club and international level. Ultimately, they made decisions that they believed were best for their careers. You can’t say a bad word to them for doing that.”
The England duo are almost guaranteed to receive some form of abuse on Saturday when they travel to the Aviva Stadium, but only time will tell to what extent as the two rival nations prepare for a crucial clash in Dublin.
England captain Harry Kane expects Declan Rice and Jack Grealish to “stick together a bit” at the Aviva Stadium, but added that “ultimately they made the decisions that were best for them in their careers “. #IRLENG #COYBIG #rtesoccer #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/PVpSIWQabq
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 6, 2024
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