'Bit of bitterness' – Arsenal & England midfielder Declan Rice responds to criticism from James McClean after being called 'overrated' by Wrexham star

Declan Rice has accused Wrexham star James McClean of a “bit of bitterness” after being stung by “overrated” criticism from his former team-mate.

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• Gunners star in Euro 2024 action
• Yet to impress outspoken Irishman
• Switched international allegiance in 2019

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal midfielder Rice played alongside McClean for the Republic of Ireland, earning three caps in friendlies, before switching international allegiance to England in 2019. He is now a £100 million ($127m) Premier League star and key figure for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.

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  WHAT MCCLEAN SAID

  McClean is not a fan, though, with the outspoken Wrexham wing-back telling when filling a European Championship punditry role: “I think Declan Rice is very overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a very good footballer, but the way the English media wax lyrical about him, I think it’s completely over the top. For me, he’s not world class. World class to me is someone who gets in every single side in the world and I don’t think he does that. I don’t think he gets in the Man City side ahead of Rodri. To me Toni Kroos is world class, He dictates the game, Rodri dictates the game, I don’t think Declan Rice does that.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McClean, who forms part of the project pieced together by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in North Wales, has added on Rice: “I made comments about Declan Rice which, you know, people have got their knickers in a twist about. I think, for a hundred million pound player, I want to see more than just five yards sideways and backwards passes. Like, he attempted one forward pass in the half and it went straight into the keeper’s hands. Like, I want to see him do more, break lines.”

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  HOW RICE RESPONDED

  Rice, who now has 53 England appearances to his name, has said of those comments: “It might be a bit of bitterness towards me not playing for Ireland but I’ve not got a bad word to say about him, to be honest. I see the comments but I don’t try to put too much energy into it. It is what it is and you move on. Do you know what? I played with James for Ireland for three games and I got on with him really well. I am not going to sit here and slag him off. I thought he was a really top guy. When I left Ireland to come to England, I heard a few things he was obviously not happy about.

  “He made comments a few years ago. I am not going to sit here and say anything about him. He’s had a great career himself – I think he is coming to the end of his career now and he’s got over a hundred caps for Ireland. It would be easy for me to sit here and say something back to him but, like I said, we are at opposite ends of our careers now – he’s 35 and I’m 25. I’ve known him, I’ve played with him, he’s entitled to his opinion and I’ve had to fight a load of those opinions from other people before.”