James McClean has told Declan Rice to 'sod off' after claiming the West Ham star used the Republic of Ireland as a 'stepping stone' to play for England.. Rice made his … Below is the footballer and his lovely father, Sean Rice. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images) ... Rice's exposure to Ireland was through his grandparents but he learnt to play the game in south-west London, not on the southside of Cork city. John Barnes would play for England at two World Cups Credit: Getty Images - Getty Declan Rice - Republic of Ireland Like Grealish, Kingston-born Rice was another to … Article continues below. Declan Rice is of Irish descent and that can be traced from his father’s Irish parents Margaret and Jack who are from Douglas, a suburb of Cork city, Ireland. Grealish, who had played for the Republic of Ireland from Under-17 to Under-21 level, had to wait a lot longer. The Republic of Ireland Under-17s did play England at the European championships in May that year, losing 1-0 in a group game, although Rice was not in the squad. They are the important ones and they are the ones who want to play for Ireland against Gibraltar and Georgia. FactSnippet No. On the surface, Declan Rice’s switch of allegiance to England appears to be a case of greener pastures. London-born Rice played for Ireland from under-16 level through to the seniors. Declan Rice during England's game against Denmark last month. If Declan Rice is a proud Englishman then it’s a disgrace that he even played for the Ireland underage groups. Declan Rice was born on the 14th day of January 1999 to his father, Sean Rice and mother Teresa Rice in London, United Kingdom. Declan Rice is eligible to play for both the Republic of Ireland and England and came through the youth ranks with the Boys in Green. Will Declan Rice play for England or Ireland? “And Declan’s performances have been very good for us, he has already picked up some very good experiences.” Rice made his senior England debut a month after his switch. Declan Rice has admitted that he did not expect to be given the opportunity to play for the country of his birth after choosing to play for England over Ireland. ... make your decision before you play for the senior Ireland … But you’d be forgiven for thinking something more sinister is at heart. Right now, it remains unclear where exactly Rice stands on the matter, so we do not know how he will proceed. 173,996 37.