Declan Rice showed admirable character, despite being compared to a traitorous snake by Republic of Ireland fans.

England’s trip to Aviva to face the Republic of Ireland has special meaning for Declan Rice personally. The Arsenal midfielder will face his former home team.

In the 11th minute, Rice scored for the visitors with a sharp move into the penalty area, taking advantage of a rebound after Harry Kane’s failed shot to score the opening goal.

15 minutes later, the Gunners star directed a series of passes that broke through the home team’s defence, before assisting Jack Grealish to seal a 2-0 victory. Statistics from Statman Dave show that Rice touched the ball a total of 106 times, achieved an absolute dribble success rate and a 95% pass accuracy. The former Republic of Ireland international also created 3 chances and made 3 tackles.

Rice held back from celebrating after the emotional goal. Despite being compared to a snake by home fans, the Arsenal star showed admirable character and paid tribute to the national team he played for.