Irish broadcaster RTE has gone viral for their report on Arsenal’s pursuit of West Ham skipper Declan Rice.
The Gunners are set to sign the midfielder, after a £100million fee, plus an additional £5m in add-ons was agreed with the Hammers.
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Rice is set to become Arsenal’s all-time record signing in the coming days once he passes his medical at the north London club.
The England international has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal after rejecting interest from Manchester City.
Irish public service broadcaster, RTE, produced a report on Rice becoming ‘the most expensive Englishman in Premier League history’.
That is despite the fact they produced a highlights package showing footage of the 24-year-old playing for the Republic of Ireland in 2018.
Rice, who has Irish paternal grandparents, donned the Green shirt of the Republic at various age groups.
He was even named U17 Player of the Year in 2017, before making his senior debut a year later under Martin O’Neill.
The West Ham ace would feature three times for the nation, before switching alliances to England in February 2019.
Rice was allowed to do so given all three matches were friendlies, and he has since gone on to star for both club and country.
In fact, Rice, Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham – the three most expensive English players – are eligible to play for the Boys in Green.
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Ex-England defender Stuart Pearce, who coached Rice at West Ham, believes players shouldn’t be able to change allegiances.
“One thing I disagree with and I think a ruling should be made, as soon as you wear a national shirt for a country, you cannot change allegiances and go and play for someone else,” he told talkSPORT.
“If you play youth football up to Under-21… when we played a tournament against Germany in a major final, their left back turned up playing for the Canadians a month later or however long, from being a German Under-21 international, which you can do.
“For me, I just think it’s wrong. If you decide to put a national shirt on at any age group – this is my personal opinion – you should not be allowed to chop and change and go and play for another nation.”
