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John Terry advised Declan Rice on England decision

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Chelsea legend John Terry played a pivotal role in West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice’s recent decision to declare for England, according to The Sun.

The newspaper claims that a series of chats with Terry helped convince the 20-year-old to pledge his international allegiance to the Three Lions, despite having represented the Republic of Ireland on three occasions.

The Hammers star is said to have developed an increasingly close friendship with the Blues great, and sought Terry’s advice when making his decision.

They first connected after Terry called Rice out of the blue when he was released by Chelsea as a 14-year-old, and the Aston Villa assistant manager is now a chief confidant of the youngster’s.

OPINION

Well, the Irish fans now have someone to blame, don’t they? Terry, obviously, would advise Rice to choose England and that’s what he’s ended up going for. The Three Lions now have another talented young player on the scene and so it’s great news for Gareth Southgate and the entire country – they can all thank Terry for his part in Rice’s decision. The other interesting part of this story is that Terry and Rice have a long-standing relationship. Credit to Terry for reaching out when Rice was released because he didn’t have to do that. It must have meant a lot for Rice as a young man to receive encouragement from a legend like Terry, and it’s even better that they have continued to have a relationship over the years. It must be invaluable for a young player to have someone like Terry to turn to, a player who has done all there is to do in the game. Unfortunately for the Irish, Terry’s influence hasn’t done them any favours here.

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