But, having never represented England at any age level, anyone who thinks he has taken the easy option by choosing the country of his birth over that of his ancestors and his international development should think again.

Yes, the potential rewards are big - there could even be an international trophy within four months because England face Holland in the Uefa Nations Cup semi-final in Portugal in June - but the competition in a squad that has been together for years is also significant.

England manager Gareth Southgate has worked hard to persuade Rice to switch allegiance, even inviting him to a presentation at St George’s Park to outline the opportunities ahead.

But he has also been extremely loyal to the players he himself developed through the England U21 set-up and to his country’s successful youth teams prospects.

The bond developed between England players at the 2018 World Cup in Russia was significant and breaking into that group will not be as easy as it sounds.

So, Gary Lineker’s provocative Tweet that ‘he’s one of our own’ in response to Rice’s statement was tongue-in-cheek to say the least - and TheFA.com, the official England website, opted not even to report on the player’s decision.

He’s one of our own....He’s one of our own...Declan Rice....he’s one of our own.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 13, 2019

Significantly, rumours around the England camp suggest Southgate sees Rice as a defender rather than a midfielder, which is at odds with media speculation that he is being earmarked as young ‘upgrade’ to Jordan Henderson or Eric Dier, both viewed as steady but uninspiring options in that position by England supporters.

Whether Southgate has changed his mind this season thanks to Rice’s outstanding performances in midfield remains to be seen, but if he prefers him at centre-half then the competition for the 20-year-old is even greater - up against talent like Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, Arsenal’s Rob Holding, Burnley’s James Tarkowski, Man City’s John Stones, Everton’s Michael Keane, Leicester’s Harry Maguire, Man City’s Kyle Walker and Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.

Midfield certainly seems a far better option but Southgate has been stubborn in these matters in the past.

He refused to select Jack Wilshere during his time at Arsenal not just because of his injury problems but because the player saw himself as an attacking midfielder (the role he played at the Emirates) and Southgate was adamant he would only consider him in a holding role.

If that is the kind of creativity the England manager prefers from an anchor man then will Rice fit the bill? Or will he be battling with a string of talented defenders to fight his way into the starting line-up?

Either way, there is no doubt the player has the ability to make an impact, but you might say the same for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish who spent ages deciding whether to pick England over Ireland - but who has been left in the international wilderness ever since opting for the former.

Gut feeling tells you Rice is different, not least because he is playing regular football in the Premier League already.

But his chances of getting into England’s team in the short-term are not simple.

England’s next fixtures are back-to-back Euro 2020 qualifiers in March, at home to the Czech Republic and away to Montenegro, which provides little opportunity for bedding in.

After that it’s those Uefa Nations Cup ties in June, and although you suspect England will want a friendly fixture before flying to Portugal there are no official FIFA dates in the diary.

There may be no quick-fire opportunity for Rice to prove, even to himself, that he made the right decision.

But there will be plenty of time for others to judge.