Sam Stone

Thu 8 December 2022 13:40, UK

Former Premier League defender Sebastien Bassong has praised Declan Rice and says the West Ham star is the “masterclass” of England’s midfield.

Questions currently remain over Rice’s involvement on Saturday with The Times suggesting (8 December) that England’s doctors are currently monitoring the midfielder.

However, Bassong, who was born in France but represented Cameroon, believes England have the midfield edge with Rice in their ranks.

“I would say England. Gareth Southgate has found his three midfielders and the way they complement each other,” said Bassong to Sky Sports (Football Daily, 8 December).

“We keep talking about Jude Bellingham with everything he’s brought to the team and the experience of Henderson, but I always say the masterclass of Declan Rice, so I think those three together compared to the three in France’s midfield, I’ll give a little advantage to the English one.”

So important

Jude Bellingham has taken a lot of the plaudits in Qatar, with his performances really catching the eye. However, Rice’s role in this team is absolutely vital and he rarely gets the credit he deserves. The 23-year-old is a commanding presence for England, and when he operates alongside Jordan Henderson, it gives the likes of Bellingham the licence to get forward and express himself.

If Rice is fit to face France, the battle against Antoine Griezmann will be crucial in determining the outcome of the quarter-final clash. The Atletico Madrid man is an expert at picking up small pockets of space and if he’s allowed to do so, he will feed the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.

Griezmann’s importance for France cannot be understated and if Rice can marshall him, there’s every chance England will come out on top and reach consecutive World Cup semi-finals. All fingers will be crossed when it comes to his fitness, with the West Ham skipper certainly not wanting to miss what is potentially the biggest match of his career so far.