Jack Grealish and Declan Rice Accused of "Trolling" Ireland Supporters After England Win
England’s 2-0 victory over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was marked by a tense atmosphere, with Ireland fans booing Jack Grealish and Declan Rice throughout the match. The duo, who had previously switched their international allegiance from Ireland to England, were on the scoresheet, with Rice refusing to celebrate his goal and Grealish pumping his fist in the direction of the England supporters before putting his fingers in his ears.
Speaking after the match, Rice explained his decision not to celebrate, citing his family ties to Ireland. "My nan and grandad, my dad’s side of the family are all Irish and they’ve obviously passed away. They’re not here anymore. I didn’t want to do that, to be honest with you. I had such an amazing time playing for Ireland, even in the first team, the U19s, U21s, They were great memories that live with me."
However, the pair’s post-match celebrations on social media have been met with criticism from Ireland fans, who accused them of "trolling" their former supporters. Grealish and Rice posted a photo of themselves grinning at Dublin Airport, captioned "In & out", followed by the peace sign emoji.
The move has been criticized by many, with one fan posting "Proper trolls" on Instagram, while another added "Rattled them". Another commenter simply stated "So rude".
Grealish, however, insisted that he had no ill-feeling towards the Ireland supporters, despite being booed during the game. "I think it was what me and Dec expected," he told ITV. "Me and Dec both enjoyed our time playing here. I certainly did. I have a lot Irish in my family, so there’s no bad blood whatsoever from my side."
As England look to build on their Nations League win, they’ll face Finland at Wembley on Tuesday. Will they be able to maintain their momentum? Only time will tell.
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