Souness claims Rice was coerced into picking England: “Every sentence is covering his backside”

Declan Rice

The West Ham midfielder announced in a statement on Wednesday that he was committing his future to the English national team, despite representing the Irish across various youth levels and in three senior friendly matches.

Former Scotland and Liverpool midfielder Souness was not impressed by the decision, which he believes was made due to the influence of advisors looking to make the 20-year-old a more valuable commodity.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.