Former Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle does not see any way back for Declan Rice after the West Ham teenager declined an international call-up amid reports that he’s going to jump ship to England.
Rice has three senior international caps for Ireland but because all three came in friendly games, he’s still eligible to play for England.
English manager Gareth Southgate is understood to have spoken to Rice about switching allegiances and his club chairman David Gold has actively encouraged the midfielder to declare for the country of his birth.
Rice is officially taking time to deliberate on his future but Doyle, who played 64 times for his country, believes that his mind is already made up.
Kevin Doyle believes that Declan Rice has already made up his mind to make the switch to England #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/RqfuxlXRXg
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 28, 2018
"I don’t think there’s a way back. Once you make the decision that you’re ‘thinking about it’, I think you’re saying you’re not coming back. If he does I’d be very surprised.
"If he does change his mind and say ‘yeah I want to play for you’, if he misses out through injury or has a bad performance, everyone will say ‘well he wanted to play for England anyway, he doesn’t care'.
"Different lads have said ‘give him time to think about it, he’s young.’
"He’s 19, he’s played in the Premier League for a year, three times in the summer he’s played for Ireland, that was the time to think.
"I don’t blame him, if he wants to play for England. If he feels English then fair enough but I wouldn’t be pandering now. He’s made his decision and I’d say ‘fair enough, we’re moving on’.
"He’s taken someone else’s place in the summer. Martin O’Neill is planning to play him, he’s played in midfield in those three friendlies in the summer when we could have used someone else."
While Doyle insists that he respects Rice’s right to make the decision to switch to the Three Lions, he’s unhappy with the timing on it all.
He said: "I’m really surprised because he comes across as such a nice lad, such an honest lad and he talked a great talk. We all felt this was never going to happen, it wasn’t going to be another Jack Grealish but I think now he’s burned his bridges.
"That’s his decision, I’ve no problem with that but you feel all along how did he not know at Under-16, Under-18, Under-21, senior level at the start of the summer. If he had any doubts, that was the time, he’s had plenty of time to make up his mind.
"Now to be thinking about it in September just before important games for us is inexcusable.
"If you’re thinking about it, it’s too late. International football is not like club football. But he’s made up his mind and I don’t think he’s coming back."
