Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph says Declan Rice will be welcomed back into the Republic of Ireland squad.

The West Ham defender is currently weighing up committing to England.

"If he comes back in, he's back in," Randolph told the Irish Independent. "He's been part of the squad. Forget about it and get back on the pitch and perform.

"He's a good player. Obviously, he was breaking through when I was at West Ham. He's only 19 so he's obviously decided to take a step back and take some time.

"It's probably tough, being a 19-year-old, and he's having those decisions. But it's really down to him to choose and do whatever he feels is best for him.

"If he decides to come back and he's playing well, I don't think anyone will be worrying about it too much. They''ll say, 'Thank God, he chose to play'."