L’Equipe react to West Ham United star Declan Rice performance for England v France at World Cup
French media outlet L’Equipe gave West Ham skipper Declan Rice a 6/10 rating for his performance in England’s World Cup clash with France.
Rice started in midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson as the deepest of the three, and turned in what many believed to be a good performance as the Three Lions crashed out in a 2-1 defeat to the reigning world champions.
And reputable French outlet L’Equipe (11 December), famed for their player ratings in games, seemed to agree as only three players on the pitch earned a higher rating on the night for their performance.
France playmaker Antoine Griezmann and all-time top goalscorer Olivier Giroud both earned a 7/10 rating for their side, while Bukayo Saka was the only England player to earn that high a rating.
John Stones, Kyle Walker and Harry Kane all also earned a 6/10 for England, but they’ll be heading home rather than preparing to face Morocco on Wednesday (14 December).
Awful
Rice was excellent throughout the game on Saturday night (10 December) and showed that there is a reason all the top clubs in the world are interested in signing him.
His energy was excellent, he was quick across the ground, strong in a tackle, passed the ball well and defended brilliantly when he needed to.
Ultimately it was two moments of brilliance from the French and a missed penalty from Kane that cost England, as they were the better team over the course of the game.
Rice proved that he is ready for the elite level, and it was just another sign to West Ham that a transfer is almost inevitable this summer when the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool come knocking with mega-money bids.
He’ll be a huge loss to the club and irreplaceable in the team, but there is plenty of time to plan and limit the damage done by his impending exit.