Both players switched allegiances to England after initially playing for Ireland.
Republic of Ireland assistant manager John O’Shea has played down the return of Declan Rice and Jack Grealish to Dublin this weekend and insisted that his focus is on “players who want to be here”.
Saturday’s UEFA Nations League clash between Ireland and England at the Aviva will see Rice and Grealish wear the Three Lions shirt for the first time at the home of Irish football.
Grealish, who has Irish grandparents, represented Ireland at underage level before switching allegiance to England in 2015.
Rice, on the other hand, not only played through the Ireland ranks but also made three senior appearances for the ‘Boys in Green’, before switching allegiance to his homeland in 2019.
When asked if the appearance of two former Ireland teammates on the opposing side will factor into the mindset of the Irish management going into this weekend’s clash, O’Shea replied: “No, not at all. It’s the focus on players who want to be here.
The former Manchester United defender added: “He’s not here, he’s in the England squad so we can’t keep talking about it.”
🗣️ ‘It’s a focus on us, the players that are here, the players that want to be here.'
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) September 4, 2024
John O’Shea comments on facing Declan Rice in this weekend's clash with England as he is asked what could have been for the once Irish international. #COYBIG | ☘ @williamhillire pic.twitter.com/kha3XnsD0w
Lee Carsley will also be a familiar face in the opposing dugout on Saturday. The England interim boss won 40 caps for Ireland between 1996 and 2008, including a cameo at the 2002 World Cup.
Again, O’Shea deflected away from any suggestion that the narrative would factor into the team’s preparations going into the weekend.
“Lee has jumped up from the U21s and I’m sure people behind the scenes would like to see continue but there’ll be an outcry for other names.
“I haven’t spoken to him recently, only seeing him at different games,” he added. “When I did my FAI A coaching license, he came in to speak with us. I’d always get on well with Carso but it’s a different scenario now. We’ll get a chance to catch up at some stage on Saturday.”
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Some good news for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side came in the form of confirmation that Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden would not travel with the England squad this weekend.
O’Shea put to bed concerns surrounding the availability of Seamus Coleman and Andrew Omobamidele following reports that both defenders sat out training on Tuesday.
The assistant head coach clarified that there were no injuries and both players trained with the squad on Wednesday morning.
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