Speaking on BT Sport, Owen Hargreaves has been discussing the midfield he’d utilise if he was the manager of England and he’s touched on Declan Rice.
Rice has been one of the first names on the team sheet for England over the past three years or so after establishing himself as one of West Ham’s most important players under David Moyes.
Hargreaves didn’t name Rice as one of the players he would build the team around – stating that England should prioritise getting the best out of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham. However, Rice still earned a place in his team, being described as ‘amazing’.
Hargreaves lauds Rice
The pundit gave Rice credit when naming his preferred England options.
“I’d like to build around them, obviously Declan has been amazing and he’s been super consistent, but that three with Mason Mount as well who can play multiple positions. I think you should build around Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, those two they offer so much. For the next eight or 10 years those two could give us so much,” Hargreaves said.
Anchor
Rice may not be having his greatest season for West Ham, but he’ll certainly still be anchoring the England midfield in Qatar.
With Kalvin Phillips a doubt and Bellingham lacking experience, Rice will probably be seen as the general in that midfield throughout this tournament, and that’s a role he should flourish in.
As he’s shown for West Ham, he’s a brilliant leader, and as Hargreaves says, he’s a very consistent player who has already proven he’s ready to step up in the big games – as shown at Euro 2020.
Rice may not be the headline-maker in the England team these days, but make no mistake about it, he remains one of Gareth Southgate’s most important players.
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