This followed a rollercoaster day of confusion and contradiction which began with Martin O’Neill speaking at length in the Aviva Stadium about his reasons for remaining hopeful that Rice would recommit to Ireland, only to appear to be ambushed immediately after his press briefing by the emergence of a Sky Sports story claiming that the player had already made his decision to declare for England and that plans were in place “to lodge the necessary paperwork with Fifa to amend his international registration”.

Promptly reapproached by journalists for his response to that, O’Neill confessed he would be “a bit surprised” if it turned out to be true.

Indeed, the Sky reporter who broke the initial story did subsequently dilute its tone of certainty with an update on Twitter last night which read: “Sources close to the player have contacted us to tell us that Rice is yet to decide categorically. Clearly, a complex situation with emotional pulls in both directions.”

People looking to Rice’s own Twitter account for enlightenment had only been left further confused by the player appearing to first ‘like’ and then ‘unlike’ a line tweeted by the FAI from O’Neill’s squad announcement in which he had said the player had yet to make a decision and that he (O’Neill) remained hopeful.

So, attention moved to London, where Gareth Southgate was asked for an update at his squad announcement.

I think I said last month there had been discussions, but that hasn’t been taken any further,” said the England manager. “I said then, I think it was important that we gave Declan time to make his decision.There’s no update from our side on that so, yeah, I guess we’ll know when we know.

While all concerned resume waiting for Deco, O’Neill has dismissed any suggestion the player’s witnessing of the summer bust-up involving Roy Keane, Harry Arter, and Jon Walters might have coloured his thinking on his international future.

“He was there, but that has nothing to do with it, honestly, and not only has he [clarified that], but his father [Sean] has done as well,” said the manager. “The idea about Roy coming in and he being in the room and it affecting him... it’s something that both he and his father were at great pains to say: ‘No, not at all.’

“I’d met Sean and Declan and they’d told me that Declan said: ‘I’ve witnessed much, much worse just recently.’ As it turns out, it happened to be the debacle in West Ham’s dressing room after I think they’d been beaten by Wolves late on in the game. (Marko Arnautovic has revealed that things got ‘heated’ among the players after that defeat). That then came out a couple of weeks later on the positive side. You saw this after they’d beaten Everton. Now, suddenly, it was that debacle that got them all together.

“Declan’s a strong character and he’s witnessing these things and he’s growing up in the game and it’ll not be the last time he’ll witness that, if his career is anything to go by. It happens in the game.”

Pressed on his communication with Rice and his father, O’Neill said: “Listen, I don’t know whether I should be divulging an awful lot of the conversation going on. I’m still hopeful. Declan’s father had a long conversation with me, really long. Took the time out to speak to me and he was almost articulating what Declan probably really wanted to say, although I’ve had my conversation with Declan as well.

He’s a young kid, he wants to make a decision at the end of the day and, whatever decision he makes, will be for the rest of his footballing life. I understand these things. Actually, I think you do as well.

Asked how much of a factor in Rice’s thinking was the lure of playing for England, O’Neill said: “You know where his father stands on this and also I think the rest of the family, the brothers. I think there might have been an initial feeling that they might have wanted to go for England at the time, because they’re born there and so is his dad, but I think those things have changed around. He just needs a wee bit more time. I’ve said to you I’ve always been hopeful. Until the decision is made, I wait like everybody else.”

O’Neill also revealed he had contacted the player’s new agent, Neil Fewings, “to find out a bit of background, about how this had all transpired, and how it progressed”.

Asked if he felt Rice’s decision on his international future might be linked to his contract negotiations with West Ham, O’Neill replied: “It may well be. I’m honestly not party to those things and I’m not even sure that is totally and utterly my business. I, like all of us in here, want him to play for us. You know? I said to you all along the way, even the time he played the matches for us, that nothing is over the line until it’s over the line, nothing is. I’ve known that in my life. It’s not over the line until it is.

“I’m hopeful, like anything else. If he declared tomorrow for England, then that hope obviously disappears. If he declares for us, I won’t be running around shouting it and saying I knew all along. It’s not the case. I’m hopeful from the conversations that have taken place, and I know where his family would like him to be. Alright?”