Jack Grealish was not surprised by the reception he and Declan Rice received upon returning to Ireland as England players.
The Manchester City winger represented the Republic at U17, U18 and U21 levels but did not win a senior cap unlike Rice, who played for the Irish national team three times before switching allegiances.
The 28-year-old found the mark in the first half to double the Three Lions’ lead, building on Rice’s 11th-minute opener.
Whereas his teammate chose not to celebrate his strike, Grealish punched the air in front of the travelling supporters after netting the third goal of his England career.
Read – Declan Rice reflects on scoring for England against former side Ireland
The pair were booed and jeered by the home crowd, some of whom brought flags depicting both players as snakes for their decision to reject Ireland, but the former Aston Villa star says there is no hard feelings.
“It was what me and Declan expected,” Grealish said. “We have nothing bad to say, we both enjoyed our time [playing for Ireland] – I certainly did and I have a lot of Irish in my family, so there’s no bad blood whatsoever from my side.”
Grealish returned to the starting lineup after the disappointment of missing out on the European Championship in the summer.
“I need to start playing regularly, scoring goals, and that’s what I did today. I’m still not 100 percent fit but I’m getting there so from a personal point of view I’m happy.
“Going to the fans at the end and hearing them sing my name, listen there’s no better feeling than playing for England, everyone will say the same thing, especially in games like this when you know the whole nation is going to be watching.
“Over the summer, it was one of the worst summers of my life because you can’t not see everything that is happening in front of you. It was difficult but it’s given me something to bounce back.”
