West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been a key member of Manuel Pellegrini’s side this season.
talkSPORT pundit Micky Quinn has claimed that West Ham ace Declan Rice switched his allegiance from the Republic of Ireland to England because of ‘money’ as he labelled him as ‘greedy’.
The former striker also brutally mocked the 20-year-old by claiming that ‘his book will come out before the World Cup’ as he continued to state that he was ‘swayed’ by ‘money’.
On Wednesday, Rice confirmed on his personal Twitter account that he had informed both England manager Gareth Southgate & Ireland boss Mick McCarthy that he has picked to play for the country of his birth.
But the decision from the London-born player, who has three caps for ROI, didn’t sit well with former Newcastle United striker Quinn who gave his reasons behind Rice’s controversial decision.
“Would the money have come into it as well,” Quinn asked Drivetime on talkSPORT on 13/02/2019. “No disrespect, advertising, playing for England. Would you get more money playing for England than playing for Ireland?
“Listen, I am just being cold and calculated – It’s modern day football. Where there are a lot of greedy footballers. Well, he was [a short of a bob or two] before he signed that five-year contract.
“You have got to ask, was he swayed by his club because of his transfer fee? And book deals. You have to look at all the options. And maybe [he’ll earn] more [money] if he gets to a World Cup. Then his book will come out before the WC.”
Rice has enjoyed a stellar campaign for the Hammers this season, with manager Manuel Pellegrini deploying him in the number six role in the middle of the park.
It is highly likely that Southgate will be looking to call him up for England’s international fixtures next month and if he does earn that call-up then he will battle a number of big-name players for that midfield position.
The likes of Harry Winks, Eric Dier & Jordan Henderson, to name a few, have deployed that role as he will be looking to prove his worth if he is selected by Southgate.
Throughout this Premier League season, Rice has showcased his calmness on the ball, ability to read the game and nullify any attacking threat from the opposition.
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