West Ham star Declan Rice has been hit with some utterly bizarre news hours before England’s huge World Cup clash against France.
England take on France in the quarter-finals for the right to play either Portugal or Morocco in the semi-finals.
And West Ham captain will be one of the first names on the teamsheet such is his importance to Gareth Southgate’s side.
Rice has flourished into one of the best defensive midfielders around with his performances for West Ham and England.
That has brought with it heightened attention from the media.
Last week many West Ham fans were unhappy that Rice was coerced into speaking about his club future during an England press conference.
It poured fuel on an already blazing fire of speculation about Rice leaving West Ham in the summer.
Now the Hammers talisman has been thrown another curveball which has made its way into the press as he prepares for one of the biggest games of his career in a West Ham or England shirt.
West Ham star Rice has been hit with some utterly bizarre news hours before England’s huge World Cup clash against France.
The Daily Mail – who else – has run a story today claiming that Rice has been ordered to have two oak trees trimmed in the garden of his “£2.6m mansion”.
The Mail says Rice has had two oak trees in his garden cut back after a neighbour called Mr Green claimed one of them was filling his gutters with acorns.
The Mail has even been out to take a photograph of the Mr Green named in the story.
“Council officials had to give permission for the pruning as both the oaks in the grounds of the 23-year-old midfielder’s £2.6m mansion are protected by Tree Preservation Orders,” The Mail reports.
“Mr Green, 83, applied to cut back two or three branches of one tree overhanging his garden by up to 9ft, and for a ‘large lateral branch’ to be cut back on a second oak.
“The application was approved by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in September, more than two months before the player flew to Qatar with the Three Lions squad.”
The bemusing article goes on to state how many acres Rice’s house sits on and states: “Planning documents visible on the council’s website inadvertently name the footballer’s father Sean Rice as the owner of his luxury six bedroom home.”
As West Ham fans will know Sean is also Declan’s agent.
The English national press are often accused of undermining the Three Lions and given the very questionable public interest of this story, it would have to fall into that category on the eve of such a big game.
Not that Rice will be one bit bothered of course. The West Ham man will undoubtedly laugh it off but you do have to question the motivation.
And speaking of undermining the England team, Sky Sports has named the starting line-up this morning despite pleas from Southgate and his players to stop it as it gives opponents a potential advantage.
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