The Hammers midfielder is competing with his Spurs and Liverpool counterparts for a spot in the England starting XI.
West Ham United defensive midfielder Declan Rice is currently in training with England and could be in line for his Three Lions debut in Friday night’s Euro 2020 Group A qualifier against the Czech Republic at Wembley.
It wasn’t a completely smooth road for the 20-year-old to get to where he is now, his switch of international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland causing some upset within the Boys in Green fanbase, but after finally getting FIFA clearance he can now focus on the football.
Rice’s arrival within the England setup means he is likely to be competing with Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier for the relevant position in the starting XI, which has triggered some debate amongst fans of the two rival London clubs, as well as pundits such as Tony Cascarino, who recently gave his opinion in The Times.
Speaking to the official West Ham website, Rice said Dier and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson will likely be his main competitors for a place in Gareth Southgate’s line-up, but insisted that there is no animosity within the ranks and praised both of his counterparts.
“Competition is healthy as well but because everyone gets on, there is no animosity and competition is good,” he said. “We’ve got all these players here from top clubs and people might think there is that rivalry but that’s all forgotten about and it’s one big family, to be honest.
“Obviously, Eric and I have been up against each other in training position-wise and he works really, really hard. Training against Henderson, he’s a proper leader, working really hard and talking, so everyone has got to put in a shift.”
Rice has been impressive for his club this season, making 32 appearances in all competitions, of which 28 have been Premier League starts (Transfermarkt).
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