Declan Rice and Jack Grealish set for Ireland reunion

The pair have been included in the England squad to face Ireland

It seems a long time ago since Declan Rice rejected Ireland in favour of England. In reality, it’s been less than 2 years. Since then, the West Ham midfielder has established himself as a regular for his country. Some would argue that he’s an Englishman so he should be allowed to play for the country, which is fair. Others would contend that he abused the Irish system for his own gain, thus denying other Irishmen the opportunity to represent their nation.

Similarly, Jack Grealish also played for Ireland but ultimately decided his future rested with England. However, the circumstances surrounding his decision are slightly different. Nearly 6 years following his switch to the Three Lions, many Ireland fans have *somewhat* forgiven Jack Grealish. This may be due to the length of time since his choice. Alternatively, it could be because Grealish never represented Ireland at senior level. Either way, Declan Rice is a far more maligned figure than the Aston Villa man.

👀 𝗩 𝗜 𝗦 𝗜 𝗢 𝗡 👀@JackGrealish was on 🔥 last night! 😍 pic.twitter.com/X23LU4DN7N

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) OCTOBER 19, 2020

The England squad also features Michael Keane, whom represented Ireland up to u19 level before switching allegiance. The Everton defender has represented England since 2012, though.

Callum Robinson, on the other hand, previously represented England at underage level before declaring for Ireland in 2018. He has accumulated 15 caps since then. He’ll be looking to add to his catalogue against the country he once represented.

FIXTURE DETAILS

The nations are scheduled to meet in a friendly on the 12^th of November. Thursday is the day of the match which will kick off at 20:00. Wembley stadium will be the venue for the fixture in what promises to be an intriguing affair. It has been over 5 years since the two historical rivals last met. The last match ended in a scoreless draw. Let’s hope there’s more entertainment on show this time around.

Irish TV will not be broadcasting the match. However, ITV will be providing coverage for those in need of an alternative solution.

Ireland are also set to don their newly unveiled kit for the first time on the date. Umbro are the manufacturers of the kit which will feature no sponsor, unlike previous years.

🎥 KIT REVEAL

A closer look at the new Ireland 🇮🇪 home kit#BackToUmbro | #COYBIG | #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/D9Qcgc8xfc

— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) OCTOBER 29, 2020

There are no real surprises in terms of team selection for both nations. All players called up have played or been in included in previous squads. Here are the England and Ireland squads for the fixture:

Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth); Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion); Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion), Robbie Brady (Burnley); Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).

England: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Dean Henderson (Manchester United; Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atlético Madrid), Reece James (Chelsea), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Michael Keane (Everton), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Conor Coady (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur); Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham United), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur); Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea).