Speaking on the Wrighty’s House Podcast, Alan Shearer has been speaking about West Ham’s Declan Rice and how he handles himself in front of the media.
Rice is one of the biggest characters in the England squad, and his handling of the media has made headlines in recent weeks as he’s quickly become a fan favourite with the Three Lions.
Indeed, while Rice may be an incredibly industrious and tough-tackling player on the pitch, off of it, he’s always up for a laugh, and that’s something Shearer has noticed.
What’s been said?
Shearer was speaking about England players handle the media, and he was particularly impressed by how Rice appeared during interviews.
“I think he’s just having fun, I think he’s just having a great time and I think that’s great to see because you don’t see it very often. They’re under so much scrutiny these players and managers, and when you face the media sometimes they feel like they’ve got to be sensible or not say this or that, but with this England team and particularly Declan, whenever I see him interviewed he’s just having a good time,” Shearer said.
Great to see
How good is it to see an England team with a bit of character for once?
As much as we all loved the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand back in the day, they didn’t show much personality during their playing days, often just giving cookie-cutter answers, particularly when they were representing their country.
However, with the rise of social media and an improved relationship between the mainstream media and the England squad, we’re able to see people like Rice showing off their character, and it seems to have done the squad the world of good.
Rather than treading on eggshells around the media, these players are able to embrace these interview situations, and that has seemingly led to a more relaxed atmosphere around the camp.
Long may this continue, whether it be Rice or any other England player.
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