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19th August 2017
06:40pm BST
Almost instantly Rice, who played in a holding midfield role but his best position is centre-back, was bossing around his more experienced teammates, telling them where they should be, who to mark and who they should pass to. And in the second half, as the Hammers chased an equaliser, it was the youngster showing maturity beyond his years and telling veteran Pablo Zabaleta not to rush a throw in with a 'calm down' gesture. He was always checking over his shoulders, making sure he was aware of the dangers and passing options around him, and wasn't afraid to drop into high risk positions to demand the ball or be an extra body in defence.So that begs the question, why isn't he in the Ireland squad? Fair is fair that the midfielder (who can also play centre back) has only popped up on the radar recently but the Ireland squad isn't exactly busting with Premier League talent. But you have to wonder why a player like Kevin Doyle, a 33-year-old playing for Colorado Rapids who is clearly not near the starting line up is being named in a provisional squad ahead of a player that is 18-years-old and shows an abundance of promise. The ultimate question you have to ask is what does the squad gain more from? A player with experience but well past his peak or someone that could legitimately be a starter for the side at the World Cup if qualification goes Ireland's way.
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