Declan Rice has lauded the qualities of Tottenham striker Harry Kane on and off the pitch and claimed that he is someone who has ”defences scared’, as posted by England’s official YouTube account.
The West Ham star is currently on international duty with the Spurs man and he also praised his leadership skills during England’s recent friendly win against the Republic of Ireland.
Kane didn’t feature in that match, as the likes of Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho starred for their country.
But Rice shared how Kane made himself known in the dressing room before the game, as he spoke highly of his international captain.
“You feel his presence all the time,” said Rice. “He wasn’t involved against Ireland but beforehand he is in the changing room getting everyone ready. He’s talking to the lads and going around individually.
“For a youngster like me, who is aspiring to be a future captain, to look and what he does where he goes around and speaks to the players like Gareth [Southgate] said he might not be the loudest on the pitch.
“But the way he takes the ball under pressure, the way he gets defences scared and to me, he is a real leader.”
Going forward to the delayed Euro 2020, there is no doubt that Kane will be a starter for his country, but Rice could also see his name on the starting sheet.
If Gareth Southgate opts for a two in midfield then it’s between Rice himself, Leeds United’s currently injured star Kalvin Phillips, Premier League winning captain Jordan Henderson, Spurs’ tidy midfielder Harry Winks or the more attack-minded Mason Mount.
Either way, it does seem as though Rice is in the forefront of Southgate’s mind and if he continues his strong performances at the London Stadium then he will only continue to motor forward.
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