England duo Jack Grealish and Declan Rice were both heavily booed by Republic of Ireland supporters this evening at the Aviva Stadium.
The duo were both handed starts by interim Three Lions boss Lee Carsley on Saturday in the Nations League, though they did not receive a warm reception from supporters ahead of kick off and during the match.
The duo were heavily booed when their names were read out on the loud-speaker and in the opening minutes of the Nations League encounter.
Both Grealish and Rice have previously represented the Republic of Ireland before deciding to switch allegiances and represent England, which was a bitter pill to swallow on both occasions for those involved in their development on the international stage.
Rice made three senior appearances for the Republic of Ireland before deciding to start representing England.
Prior to the shock decision, the Arsenal midfielder talked up how he would like to captain the nation in the future after receiving high praise from then-Manchester United star John O’Shea.
Manchester City ace Grealish also came through the ranks with the Republic and represented the nation until under-21 level.
He did not feature for England at Euro 2024 though, with Gareth Southgate deciding to omit him from his final squad despite playing for the ex-Middlesbrough boss in previous tournaments.
The decision has spurred Grealish on and he has made a good impression at the Etihad Stadium so far this season, and a strong performance against Ireland in a hostile environment would indicate that he is moving in the right direction for club and country.
Asked ahead of kick-off whether he was concerned about playing Rice or Grealish in Dublin, Carsley said: “No, not at all.
“We spoke – not only (to) Jack and Declan, to the whole squad – we spoke about the atmosphere we expect it to be. Exciting, passionate, loud, but it’ll be no different to what the players are used to in Premier League games or high-level games. I think they’ll be ready for whatever comes out.”
Carsley also represented the Republic of Ireland as a player but was not particularly concerned by the reception that he may receive at the Aviva Stadium. Asked about how he expects to be welcomed by the home crowd, he said: “I’m not sure, to be honest. Probably the same. But if the reception that we had off the kids outside (the hotel) was anything to go by it will be very positive.”