IT’S BEEN A memorable week for 18-year-old West Ham youngster Declan Rice.
The defender made his Premier League debut on Sunday, coming off the bench late on in West Ham’s 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Prior to that momentous day, Rice was named Ireland U17 player of the year in March, in addition to starring for the U19s in the Uefa Elite qualifying round.
Indeed, in the interview above with FAI TV, Rice reveals that Hammers boss Slaven Bilic had people watch him during the aforementioned games, with the coaches in question returning with glowing reports of the promising teenager.
London-born Rice, whose grandparents are from Cork, has now been called up to the senior Ireland squad and will spend three days with the team in their Fota Island training camp — news he describes as “a dream come true”.
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