Declan Rice Issues Apology After Old Posts About The IRA Resurface

Declan Rice has issued an apology on Instagram after old comments about the IRA resurfaced today. The posts reading 'Up The RA' appear to have been shared while Rice was playing in the Republic of Ireland underage set-up. Earlier this year, the West Ham United midfielder switched allegiances to England, despite having won three senior caps for Ireland. He is set to make his debut for the Three Lions against Czech Republic tomorrow. In another comment, Rice posted, 'Wait til we draw England.' Referring to the historical posts, the 20-year-old issued the following statement on Instagram Stories: 'I am aware that a poorly-expressed comment I made when I was a junior player has been circulated on social media. I recognise now that my attempt to show support for my team-mates at the time could have been negatively interpreted. 'While my naive words were not meant to be a political opinion and do not represent who I am, I sincerely apologise for any offence caused.'