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7th September 2024
11:13am BST
England captain Harry Kane has publicly defended teammates Declan Rice and Jack Grealish as they prepare to play against the country they chose to represent earlier in their careers.
Both Rice and Grealish proudly wore the green, white and gold of Ireland at international level before defecting to the white of England when they begun to find success in their club careers.
Grealish, who has Irish grandparents, represented Ireland at underage level before switching allegiance to England in 2015.
Rice, on the other hand, not only played through the Ireland ranks but also made three senior appearances for the ‘Boys in Green’, before switching allegiance to his homeland in 2019.
Both players have since gone on to become integral parts of the Three Lions first-team squad, helping their country reach two European Championship finals in a row.
When asked the rumoured hostile reception that both are set to receive when they take to the field at Aviva Stadium later today, Kane replied by taking the focus of Rice and Grealish specifically and offering some justification for their allegiance switch.
"I don't think specifically for them," the England captain clarified. "I think we know it's going to be a tough atmosphere and a hostile atmosphere.
"Everyone has a different career path. Everyone has decisions to make along their journey to try and be the best that they can be and that's what Declan and Jack have done.
"So yeah, they might get some stick and that's part and parcel of football now whether it's at club or international level. Ultimately, they made decisions on what they thought was best for them and their careers and you can never say a bad word about them for doing that."
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
The Bayern Munich striker also gave a brief history lesson on his own Irish heritage during yesterday's press conference.
"My Dad's parents were Irish. They were born in Ireland and then moved to England so yeah I've got some extended family in Ireland.
"I'm sure they'll be watching in the pubs wanting Ireland to win but hopefully wanting me to score a goal. It'll be a great game.
"It's my first time playing against Ireland so I'm looking forward to that. I'm sure it will be a great atmosphere and I'm respectful to any nation that I play against so this is no different."
Harry Kane outlines his Irish heritage as he looks forward to facing the Boys in Green for the first time #IRLENG #COYBIG #rtesport #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/1jPDMe5iKz
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 6, 2024
