STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
James McClean for Ireland, Photo: Sportsfile
Irish football legend James McClean made his first appearance for the Euros 2024 when he sat on the couch on RTÉ during the games last night.
The moment that got everyone talking was the comments he made about England's Euros superstar and Arsenal man Declan Rice.
Rice who has also made appearances for the Republic of Ireland National Team and now plays his football for England was branded as "very overrated" and "not world class" but the former Irish winger.
"I think that Declan Rice is very overrated, don't get me wrong I think he is a very good footballer. But the way the English media wax lyrical about him, I think it is completely over the top."
"For me he is not world class, world class for me is someone who gets into every single side in the world and I don't think that he does that."
He went on to list players that he would not start ahead of in the same position, "He doesn't get into the Man City side ahead of Rodri. For me I think Toni Kroos is world class, I think Kroos dictates the game, I think Rodri dictates the game. I don't think Delcan Rice does that, he is not someone who takes it on the half turn and plays passes forward."
These opinions had social media split, with some agreeing with McClean and others very much disagreeing.
One social media user wrote: "Only people that think he’s “world class” are England and Arsenal fans. He’s a very good player, world class? Definitely not."
Another wrote: "Don’t like James McClean, what a statement though. Glad someone finally said it. Rice is extremely overrated. Good player, solid player, but nowhere near the level people hype him up to be."
A fan who disagreed with McClean's sentiment: "Pep was literally ready to spend about £95m for him but yea lets listen to James McClean."
The full clip of James McClean's analysis can be found below this article or through the link HERE.
"I think Declan Rice is very overrated" - James McClean does not believe the hype around England's midfielder is justified #EURO2024 #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/CGIoXBWWmD
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 19, 2024
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
