Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why

Jack Grealish and Michael Keane both ditched the Republic of Ireland to play for England (Image: Getty)

England take on the Republic of Ireland this week and the atmosphere is expected to be frosty. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish are both in with a shout of starting for the Three Lions against the nation with which they rose through the ranks on the international stage, and many Irish supporters are yet to forgive them for crossing the divide.

Ahead of Saturday's mouth-watering Nations League showdown, Express Sport takes you through the stories of five players who left Ireland behind to pursue an international career with England...

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Rice's case sticks out due to the fact he represented the Republic of Ireland right the way through from Under-17s to senior level. The West Ham academy graduate, who completed a £105million move to Arsenal last summer, did not play for England in any capacity until his formal request to switch allegiance was approved by FIFA in 2019, by which time he already boasted three Ireland caps.

The 25-year-old midfielder has gone on to play 58 times for England and become one of their most dependable performers. Rice explained at the time of his controversial switch that he did not take the decision lightly, but cited the fact he is a 'proud Englishman'.

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Declan Rice (left) played three senior games for Ireland before changing allegiances (Image: Getty)Jack Grealish

Grealish was another player who represented Ireland across various youth levels, and fans were excited about what he could become. He ultimately developed into a £100m player, as attested to by the fee Manchester City paid Aston Villa three years ago, but 2014 was the last time the Irish were able to enjoy his talents.

Grealish snubbed a call-up to Ireland's senior squad in 2016 and switched to England's Under-21s. Four years later he made his bow for the senior side. "There was a time when I thought: 'Obviously I am English, my parents were born in England, I was obviously born in England, so I feel English'," he said. "So yes, I obviously changed to England and since then I never looked back."

Patrick Bamford

Bamford's first taste of international football came in the famous green shirt as he featured for Ireland at Under-18 level. Having found his eye for goal at Leeds United in 2018/19, then-Ireland manager Mick McCarthy expressed an interest in bringing Bamford into the fold. But the striker admitted his heart was in a different place.

"I felt because my heart had been committed to playing for England, and I had always dreamt of that, I felt it would be wrong to then play for Ireland to go and play international football just because they had asked me," Bamford explained.

He went on to make his one and only England appearance in 2021.

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Michael Keane

Keane was born in England to an Irish father and played a handful of youth games for the Boys in Green. However, he expressed an interest in playing for the Three Lions at Under-19 level and ended up staying the course, going on to play 12 times for the senior side. Interestingly, Keane's twin brother, Will, played for England at youth level before committing his senior international future to Ireland, for whom he has made five appearances.

Louie Barry

Barry is still up for grabs, having never played senior international football. The Aston Villa striker, who spent a year in Barcelona's academy, played for Ireland's Under-15s and Under-16s before representing England all the way up to Under-18s. The 21-year-old's international career has not progressed beyond that stage, but having scored 13 goals in 28 games on loan at Stockport County since the start of last season, he could soon be a player worth fighting over.

Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why

Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why

Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why

Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why

Five England players who ditched Ireland to play for Three Lions - and why