West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini says Declan Rice must make a decision quick and at the moment he has "a big problem" as he decides whether to represent England or Republic of Ireland at international level.
Rice has three senior caps for Ireland - however, this still means he is eligible to play for England, if he wishes.
"His heart must decide if he feels more Irish or more English," Pellegrini insisted to BBC Sport. "With England, he will have big competition but I think he is able to take that challenge."
Rice has been criticised by James McClean and Kevin Kilbane, who have both played for Ireland and they don't agree with the West Ham defender needing to consider his nationality.
Pellegrini believes that Rice will still have a big future with England if he chooses to stop representing Republic of Ireland.
"Maybe for him it can be more easy to play for Ireland but if you trust in yourself and you feel that you are an English player. It is a personal decision," Pellegrini explained.
"It is very difficult to give advice but I am always speaking with him because he is very young. When you are 19, you need to be strong - he is a strong player, he is a good technical player. I think he has a big future."
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