Gary Neville gives his thoughts on Declan Rice’s decision to play for England

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Pundit Gary Neville has had his say on Declan Rice’s decision to declare for England having played three times for the Republic of Ireland senior side.

As per the Sun, Neville, who used to be a coach with England, has said that doing what Rice did should be outlawed.

He said: “A player should not be allowed to play for his country’s senior team and then switch. Fifa and Uefa need to stop it.

“There have been players who’ve asked for interviews and meetings with the national team manager. Why? It’s become a bit distasteful. You should just pick your country at the point where you’re selected for a national team.”

TBR’s View – Neville clearly feels frustrations from what he saw in his England role

Neville has mentioned this before in relation to Jack Grealish, so he clearly had a player or players coming to him and Roy Hodgson when they were with England and seeking assurances before declaring their nationality.

That’s rankled him to the extent that he keeps bringing it up even over three years after he was relieved of his duties with the Three Lions.

There is of course an element of players changing their mind as their profile changes. But nationality is a complex issue and a decision that a young player makes as a teen perhaps shouldn’t impact their senior career.