'NO BAD BLOOD WHATSOEVER' - JACK GREALISH SPEAKS OUT ON IRELAND BOOS AND SAYS THERE'S 'NO BETTER FEELING' THAN PLAYING FOR ENGLAND

WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish and his Three Lions co-star Declan Rice were targeted by the home team's fans throughout the match at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Both players represented Ireland at youth level, with Rice making one senior appearance, but ultimately switched to play for England instead.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Amid the boos, Rice went on to score the opening goal just 11 minutes into the clash before Grealish added a second 15 minutes later as England went on to record a 2-0 win in their first game under interim manager Lee Carsley.

WHAT GREALISH SAID

Grealish attempted to downplay the animosity with Ireland fans, telling ITV after the game: "It was what me and Declan expected. 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."

After missing out on a place in England's Euro 2024 squad, Grealish was delighted to have returned to international duty with a goal, adding: "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."

WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

The Manchester City star will hope to impress once again when they meet Finland in their next game on September 10.