Rice said the comments did not “represent who I am” Times Photographer Bradley OrmesherDeclan Rice’s fledgling England career was embroiled in fresh controversy yesterday after he was forced to apologise for a post on social media that supported the IRA. On the eve of a potential England debut against the Czech Republic tonight, the 20-year-old admitted that comments he had made in 2015, which emerged yesterday, were “naive”. Rice’s decision to declare for England, despite playing three games for Ireland, had already prompted a furore before a post on Instagram to a former Ireland Under-17 team-mate was found. It is understood that Rice was aged 15 when he said: “Up the RA” — slang for the IRA — and added: “Wait til we draw England.”The episode serves as a serious embarrassment for the FA, which has tried…

Source: The Times March 22, 2019 00:09 UTC