Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in agreement over Jack Grealish’s celebration vs Ireland
Jack Grealish and Declan Rice both found the net for England in a 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland, but only the Manchester City star chose to celebrate against their former side
Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker both “loved” Jack Grealish’s wild celebration after scoring against the Republic of Ireland.
England stars Grealish and Declan Rice were met with hostility from the Ireland fans when they visited Aviva Stadium in Saturday’s Nations League clash. They were booed and abused by the home crowd, having both switched allegiances to England earlier in their careers after initially representing the Republic of Ireland – Grealish at youth level and Rice in senior friendly matches.
Much to the anguish of the Irish supporters, both players scored on the night to give England a memorable 2-0 victory. Arsenal midfielder Rice opened the scoring in the 11th minute but did not celebrate, paying respect to his Irish roots by raising his hands apologetically.
Grealish did no such thing, celebrating his goal by punching the air in delight after finding the bottom corner in the 26th minute. His unreserved celebration sparked more jeers while the travelling England fans lapped up the scenes.
England legends Shearer and Lineker both heaped praise on Grealish for opting to celebrate. The Match of the Day duo also said they understood why Rice in contrast was less animated.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said: “I loved Grealish, he said, ‘sod that, I’m going to celebrate’. I get Declan not wanting to celebrate, but Grealish was having none of it. I loved it.”
