It is only natural that a club would want to find a way in which to mark one of their academy graduates potentially making their national team debut.
West Ham found themselves in this situation, as it seemed Josh Cullen would represent Republic of Ireland for the first time when they faced Gibraltar, though having also been left on the bench against Denmark he didn’t make it onto the pitch.
The Hammers had already marked his inclusion in the squad though, by tweeting out this quiz:
Can you name the West Ham United players to have represented the Republic of Ireland since the formation of the Premier League?https://t.co/qn05Wovegf
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) June 10, 2019
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While it seemed innocent enough, there was a very cruel side for any Irish supporters, with Declan Rice having switched international allegiance from Republic of Ireland to England, as was reported by the Guardian at the time.
Hammers have found this either very amusing or annoying depending on whether they are English or Irish, as both will have been keen for the fan favourite to represent their country when he was making his decision.
A selection of Twitter reaction to the quiz, including posts from split West Ham fans, can be found below:
In an Irish West Ham fan and this defo feels like I’m being trolled! #Rice
— Elcormaco (@elcormaco) June 10, 2019
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present huh pic.twitter.com/ExEmFOVoYx
— Ellé (@dondeccers) June 10, 2019
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Looooooool yes boys quality tweet
— Lee Argent (@lee_arg) June 10, 2019
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— joel cheshire (@joelcheshire41) June 11, 2019
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Declan rice….sorry couldn’t resist it
— Tracey (@Tracey93385474) June 10, 2019
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— Jim Smith (@Mozzer2015) June 10, 2019
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