I’M GROUNDED!

Level head keeps Rice aiming for U21 glory

THERE were three men waiting for Declan Rice outside the home dressing room at Tallaght Stadium. The Republic of Ireland’s dramatic 99th-minute winner against Azerbaijan had kept hopes of automatic Under-21 European Championship qualification alive and the mood was understandably joyous.

Father Seán, fresh from travelling to Turkey to see his son make his senior debut on Friday, was beaming once again and deep in celebratory conversation with manager Noel King and the FAI’s chief scout in London, Mark O’Toole.

The latter hugged and high fived almost every Irish player who passed on their way to the team coach, most of whom he spotted in the UK and sent Ireland’s way, and when Rice appeared there were hugs all round again.

It has been a manic 10 days for the West Ham United teenager. Named FAI Under-19 International player of the year on the Sunday before last, he then linked up with Martin O’Neill’s senior squad where he announced himself as the new golden boy of Irish football with a man-of-thematch display in Antalya.

Then, just to reaffirm his commitment to the cause, he insisted on being involved for the Under21s on Tuesday night. He faced a bit of an inquisition on his return. ‘We’ve got a lot of quality in this side. Even when I’ve come back, they’ve asked how training was and I said a lot of you lot could obviously make the step up,’ Rice admitted.

‘There’s a lot of quality in that team. There’s some lads in this team here, that some of the lads in the first team haven’t got their qualities. Josh [Cullen] could easily make the step up, [Ryan] Manning, [Ryan] Sweeney, there’s a lot of players that could easily make the step up.

‘When I went away there was 16 out of the 24 lads that went away that have come through the Under-21s and that shows the pathway that’s here to the first team in Ireland at the moment. Martin and Roy are giving the opportunities which is what every young boy wants to have.’

Rice took his chance against Turkey and despite all the increased attention that has come his way, as well as the fanfare, there was no animosity or jealousy from his U21 team-mates hoping to make the same progression as a teenager who only linked up with King’s squad after the first game of this qualifying campaign last August.

‘They were all delighted to see me. I’m one of the jokers of the team and I’ve heard it was a bit quiet before I’ve come,’ Rice smiled. ‘Seeing the lads again was a special moment and I wish I was meeting up with them again next week. They’re all top lads and to get away with them, after not seeing them for a while, they were spot on with me and all congratulating me and that’s what I like about every one of them.

‘I went into the shop here the other day just to buy a drink and I turned over the newspaper and I was on the back of it. I had to put it down quickly. It’s obviously nice to get the recognition, it gives me confidence to be honest, that I know I’m playing well that I’m getting recognised for it. If I wasn’t playing well I would be criticised, that’s how football goes.’

And he has enough positive influences around him, both at home and in the West Ham dressing room, to ensure he maintains the attitude which has brought him this far and made him a Premier League regular.

‘My family, my Dad, my coaches, I’m training with some top players like Mark Noble and James Collins and I think if I did let myself slip, they’d be onto me straight away but it’s not in my nature to be big headed.

‘It’s only just the start and it could end very quickly so I’ve got to keep on top of my game and keep performing each week,’ he added.

Rice’s focus now switches to club matters, where West Ham are in a relegation scrap, but he also can’t help but look ahead to September’s Euro qualifying double header away to Kosovo and home to group leaders Germany.

The first of those games is just 24 hours after the senior side face Wales in the UEFA Nations League, a match Rice is likely to be involved in, but the player is eager to stay involved with King’s charges to try and overhaul the Germans’ three-point lead at the top of Group 5.

‘Germany haven’t had the best of results, they’ve lost, they’ve drawn. We’ve just said in the dressing room how we should be the ones going there thinking “why are we going to sit back, we need to take it to them”.

‘They’ve drawn away to Kosovo [on Tuesday], we’ve beaten Kosovo. I think it’s going to be a great game when we play them next,’ Rice insisted.

‘Why sit back, let’s take it to Germany’