England captain Harry Kane expects England duo Jack Grealish and Declan Rice to receive “some stick” from the Republic of Ireland fans during their UEFA Nations League clash on Saturday in Dublin.
The old rivals will go head-to-head in Group 2 of League B following the Three Lions’ relegation last time around.
England are back in action for the first time since their defeat in the final of Euro 2024 with Lee Carsley taking charge of the team following the departure of Gareth Southgate this summer. These storylines will not be the only ones focussed on heading into the Ireland match as Jack Grealish and Declan Rice will get some attention.
The England duo represented Ireland in the past at youth levels, while the Arsenal star also made senior appearances before deciding to change his allegiance to England.
Both players’ decisions did not go down well with Irish fans, especially Rice’s, given that the Ireland national team gave them a chance to develop on the international stage throughout their youth careers.
The duo will be met with a hostile atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and England captain Harry Kane also expects this to be the case.
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 be met with in Dublin.
“It’ll be a hostile atmosphere. 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 might be some stick but that’s part and parcel of football, club and international level. Ultimately, they made decisions they thought was best for their careers. You can’t say a bad word to them for doing that.”
It is almost guaranteed that the England duo will receive some sort 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 showdown in Dublin.
England captain Harry Kane expects Declan Rice and Jack Grealish "to get some stick" at the Aviva Stadium but added that "they ultimately made 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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