Riccardo Calafiori and Aaron Rasmdale react on social media as Arsenal star shines on international duty

In Lee Carsley’s debut as England men’s team manager, Declan Rice stepped up and helped the Three Lions secure a comfortable win in their UEFA Nations League clash on Saturday (September 7). Rice’s former Arsenal teammate Aaron Ramsdale and current one, Ricardo Calafiori, were among many who praised his outstanding performance in England's 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland.

The Arsenal star came into this game after being sent off against Brighton & Hove Albion, a match that saw the Gunners settle for a 1-1 draw on August 31. In Ireland, meanwhile, Rice was viewed as a public enemy, as he played three games for the country before switching allegiance to England.

The reception at the Aviva Stadium was indeed hostile but ironically, it was Rice who opened the scoring, calmly finding the top corner in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a perfect opportunity.

Just when the Irish fans thought it couldn’t get any worse, Jack Grealish, another former Ireland player, scored the second goal in the 26th minute, assisted by the Arsenal midfielder.

Out of respect for the Irish supporters and the country he once represented, Rice opted for a muted celebration. He later shared a photo of the moment on Instagram, leaving the post captionless.

Among those who commented, Ricardo Calafiori appeared to applaud his performance through emojis, while Aaron Ramsdale simply wrote, “Cold.”

Rice and England secured a comfortable 2-0 victory in their opening Nations League match. They will next face Finland on Tuesday (September 10) at Wembley.

Arsenal star Declan Rice explains his muted celebration against Republic of Ireland

Rice was one of the standout performers of the night, as Lee Carsley assigned him a more advanced role, giving him the freedom to make runs into the penalty box. The 25-year-old said his muted celebration, which made headlines, was made out of respect for the country his family represents.

“To have celebrated, it would have been really disrespectful of me. My nan and grandad, my dad’s side of the family are all Irish and they’ve obviously passed away. They’re not here anymore. I didn’t want to do that, to be honest with you," Rice said (via Sky Sports).

The Arsenal midfielder also spoke about his time as an Ireland player, particularly in the youth categories that helped shape his development. He emphasized that he only has positive things to say about football in the country.

“I had such an amazing time playing for Ireland, even in the first team, the U19s, U21s, They were great memories that live with me. So, look, I don’t have a bad word to say, to be honest with you. I wish them all the best," he added.