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"I would have him tomorrow" - Ronnie Whelan would welcome Declan Rice back with open arms

Tonight, the Football Show came to you from the BackPage Pub in Phibsborough as Liverpool and Ire...



"I would have him tomorrow...
Videos

"I would have him tomorrow" - Ronnie Whelan would welcome Declan Rice back with open arms

Tonight, the Football Show came to you from the BackPage Pub in Phibsborough as Liverpool and Ireland legends Mark Lawrenson and Ronnie Whelan regaled a live audience with our own Kevin Kilbane.

With Ireland in action against Wales in the first UEFA Nations League game on Thursday but the issue of Declan Rice's international future has loomed large leading into this international break.

Kevin got the thoughts of Whelan and Lawrenson in regards to whether they would welcome the West Ham and three-time Ireland cap back into the squad if he decides to continue with the Boys in Green rather than switch to England. 

"I would have him tomorrow," he said.

You can listen to the full show in association with BoyleSports on the podcast player:

"I would have him tomorrow" - Ronnie Whelan would welcome Declan Rice back with open arms

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

"I would have him tomorrow because I've seen him play. Has he not walked away and thought, 'I'm 19 years of age, I just need to settle down and think about this. Where am I going? What do I want to do?' As a 19 year old, it's a huge decision.

"The reason I want him is because I think he's a better player than what we've got." 

More from the Back Page Pub show as Whelan and Lawrenson talk Liverpool: 

But Whelan's big worry away from the Rice issue is what Ireland's approach is stylistically and tactically.

"That's where I think we're going wrong. We don't have a set pattern of how to play football that we're all together or all the team are together thinking the same way," he said. 

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