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Declan Rice has impressed for West Ham in the Premier League this season. Paul Harding

Declan Rice earns first England call-up after Ireland switch

The West Ham youngster has been included in the 25-man squad.

GARETH SOUTHGATE HAS named Declan Rice in his 25-man squad for England’s upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Montenegro.

Rice only recently switched his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland , with Fifa officially granting the transfer in nationality on 5 March.

However, after a string of impressive performances for club side West Ham he has earned his spot in England’s squad for the upcoming games.

The 20-year-old played three times for Ireland, but all three appearances were in friendly matches meaning his is still eligible to play for the Three Lions.

He joins the likes of Tom Heaton, Callum Wilson and Jadon Sancho in a young England squad who will be looking to kickstart the nation’s European Championships qualifying campaign in winning style.

Sancho keeps his place in the squad after more impressive performance in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.

The 18-year-old winger has racked up nine goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season for Lucien Favre’s side.

Elsewhere, Jordan Pickford keeps his place in the squad despite some question marks over his recent form for club side for Everton.

He is joined by fellow goalkeepers Jack Butland and Heaton, who earns a recall having been in impressive for for Burnley in 2019.

Southgate’s side host the Czech Republic on 22 March, before an away tie against Montenegro on 25 March.

These two games are the last fixtures before this summer’s Uefa Nations League finals in Portugal, where Southgate’s men will face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on 6 June.

If victorious, they will advance to the final to take on either Portugal or Switzerland on June 9.

Full England squad: Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Tom Heaton, Jordan Pickford Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Chilwell, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, Luke Shaw, John Stones, James Tarkowski, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Declan Rice. Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Callum Wilson. 

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    Mute Michael Anthony Murray
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:18 PM

    Rice picked for the England team
    Rice on the bench for the England team
    Rice starts for the England team
    Rice in defence for the England team
    Rice in midfield for the England team

    We really really don’t need a running commentary every time Rice does something anymore…

    Can we please now focus on Eire!

    341
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    Mute grandslamkbo
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:37 PM

    @Michael Anthony Murray: Since when has the Irish media ever not been focused on England? Or the Irish fans? England v Croatia in the semi was one of the most watched tv programmes on Irish tv in 2018. This site only ever does player ratings for English clubs in Europe. How many games are broadcast in Ireland in the CL which don’t involve an English team? When it comes to football, we act like there’s no separation.

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    Mute John Ezekiel W. Minnock
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    Mar 13th 2019, 3:34 PM

    @Michael Anthony Murray: …says the fella reading & commenting on the article. Don’t like it? Don’t read it

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    Mute Steve Fox
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:10 PM

    @John Ezekiel W. Minnock: to be fair he’s got a point. They’ll be analysing his stools next…

    17
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    Mute IAmTheTruth
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:18 PM

    That’s our u21 player of the year.. we are such a bloody joke of a country at times it’s actually beyond words

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    Mute Seamus Quinn
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:25 PM

    @IAmTheTruth: So, nobody else thinks that it was a master stroke of FAI passive-aggressive trolling. Expert Level really..

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:28 PM

    @Seamus Quinn: i said it last nite,they ain’t that clever!

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Mar 13th 2019, 3:07 PM

    @Seamus Quinn: How is it a master stroke? If I was Declan Rice I would laugh my head off if I got that news.

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    Mute Virgil Van Rock
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    Mar 13th 2019, 3:45 PM

    @Stephen Lyons: The thing is you are not Declan Rice, and it’s his opinion, i agree with him you don’t move on. Why always instigating something ?

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    Mute The Debater
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    Mar 13th 2019, 5:12 PM

    @Seamus Quinn: they couldn’t be that unprofessional? Or could they….

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    Mute prop joe
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    Mar 13th 2019, 5:15 PM

    @Seamus Quinn: no. It’s an insult to all the other Irish players though. Throlling is for people with no power.

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    Mute Nicholas Ryan
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:19 PM

    Good luck to him. That’s that done and dusted. Move on.

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    Mute IAmTheTruth
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:20 PM

    @Nicholas Ryan: hope he’s absolutely shyte personally. Used us as a springboard and kissed our badge, then deserts us for our biggest rivals.

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    Mute Treaty Bhoy
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:26 PM

    @IAmTheTruth: our biggest rivals play their matches in Windsor Park.

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    Mute Ardmore02
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:28 PM

    @IAmTheTruth: how are England our biggest rivals? we’ve played them twice in nearly thirty years and they were friendlies.

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    Mute Mike Flannery
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:38 PM

    @Nicholas Ryan: I dont wish him any luck . I would love it if he flops

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    Mute grandslamkbo
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:40 PM

    @IAmTheTruth: England aren’t our biggest rivals. Ridiculous given tens of thousands of people travel over there every week to see their English clubs, pumping millioms into their economy. Irish people and the media are utterly obsessed with English clubs. If that’s a rivalry, it’s a crap one.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Mar 13th 2019, 3:51 PM

    @IAmTheTruth:

    How did he use “us as a springboard”?

    He was born and bred in England, learned his football in England at Chelsea and West Ham. The FAI had no input whatsoever into his development as a footballer.

    It is more correct to say that the FAI tried to piggyback on to the the developmental work of the FA, and attempted to take a player who was developed under the youth systems of clubs under their jurisdiction.

    12
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    Mute Sean Healy
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:11 PM

    @CrabaRev: now that’s dense comment from you. It’s not like we parachuted in and stole him from England. You do realise that he played for Ireland from U15 up to senior level and all ages in between? That was when England didn’t want him as a young player. So in fact, Ireland developed him and England did the stealing.

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    Mute BobWallace87
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:28 PM

    @Sean Healy: dense enough comment from yourself. So because Ireland took in lad to the international set up for 2-3 weeks of the year to play 5-6 games a year, the FAI ‘developed’ him.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:40 PM

    @Sean Healy:

    You don’t know too much about football, do you? From the age of 7 to the age of 14, Declan Rice was at Chelsea Football club. They are a very big English football club based in London. They developed him as a player during that time.

    He went from Chelsea to West Ham United, another English Football club based in London, and has been there as a professional since 2014. During his time there he has developed to a level where he is now called up to the English Squad

    Both clubs, West Ham and Chelsea, fall under the remit of the English FA.

    He played for Irish under age teams that’s all. The FAI didn’t develop him. They played no part whatsoever in his development.

    The FAI only has a hand in the development of Irish players, playing with Irish clubs. Perhaps the density is more with your own comment.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:41 PM

    @BobWallace87: Thanks.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:43 PM

    @Sean Healy:
    “It’s not like we parachuted in and stole him from England.”
    That’s exactly what happened.

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    Mute Sean Healy
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    Mar 14th 2019, 8:17 AM

    @CrabaRev: no it isn’t. England didn’t want him at 15. I presume they thought he wasn’t good enough. We did. Now that he is deemed to be good enough, England take him. Is that simple enough for you? The English FA had no part to play.

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    Mute Right Laugh at Parties
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:14 PM

    Lads, wouldn’t it be hilarious if he came on as a sub and all the En-ger-land fans started booing him.

    27
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    Mute Michéal Breathnach
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:15 PM

    Who in Ireland actually gives a shite, reporr on LOI and other relevant football…

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    Mute Paul Browne
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    Mar 13th 2019, 6:27 PM

    Young Irish player of the Year Declan Rice earns an England call up; what a cowboy operation

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    Mute Magnum
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    Mar 13th 2019, 4:07 PM

    Good luck to him!

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    Mute Aiden
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    Mar 13th 2019, 3:17 PM

    Enough for the love of god

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    Mute John O Reilly
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    Mar 13th 2019, 2:48 PM

    Cap him and discard him

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