Gareth Southgate responds to Declan Rice’s pro-IRA comments

Declan Rice has been warned by the FA of his responsibilities after apologising for the 'Up the RA' comments he made four years ago

Rice commented 'Up the Ra' on a post made by former underage teammate Tyreke Wilson and has since apologised for any offence he may have caused following his international defection from the Republic of Ireland to England last month. Rice will face no punishment from the association but has been reminded of his responsibilities as an England player following his remarks and England manager Gareth Southgate has said that his comments were not representative of what he believes and feels. “He has apologised, it is not representative of what he believes and feels," Southgate said. "Outside of that is the obvious point that he was 15/16. I don't think he can do or say any more than he has said at this moment in time." Rice could make his England debut against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Friday as the Three Lions look to get their Euro 2020 qualification campaign underway. He also apologised for his remarks on his Instagram account. His statement read: "I am aware that a poorly-expressed comment I made when I was a junior player has been circulated on social media. "I recognise now that my attempt to show support for my team-mates at the time could be negatively interpreted. "While my naïve words were not meant to be a political opinion and do not represent who I am, I sincerely apologise for any offence caused."