West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice ‘definitely’ told to be defensive-minded by Gareth Southgate
Flynn Downes is convinced that West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has been “definitely” told by Gareth Southgate to be more defensive-minded for England.
Downes has hailed the Hammers skipper as “unbelievable” but he is not sure whether Rice is enjoying the role for his country.
England will meet France at a major tournament since Euro 2012 and Rice will be asked to nullify the threat of Kylian Mbappe who has already scored five goals in the Qatar World Cup so far.
“He [Rice] has done unbelievable. I think the whole team has done well apart from the USA game,” said Downes, as quoted by Football.London.
“I think he is definitely told to be more defensive minded for England. I don’t know if he likes that to be honest – I haven’t spoken to him since he has been out there.
“It will be good to see him against France, against top players. He is playing a more defensive role – it will be good to see him against Mbappe. But there is Greizmman and Rabiot too. They are a good team – it is not a bad 11.”
New role
Downes is spot on here. Rice plays as a holding midfielder for West Ham, but he is being given a lot of freedom to express himself by David Moyes.
In the last two years, Rice has really grown as a player, and he can be considered a top-class midfielder in the Premier League.
Rice has expanded his game and Moyes deserves a lot of credit for his growth. He is a fantastic passer and has the confidence to carry the ball to the final third with bursting runs.
Southgate probably won’t allow Rice to do that against France. He will have to sit deep and become the safety belt for the defenders.
To be fair, Rice has been superb in his new role as it has allowed the likes of Jordan Henderson and Jude Bellingham to play with more freedom. The Hammers skipper is a perfect team player, and he is happy to do whatever his manager wants from him.
Unfortunately, this could be his last season at the London Stadium. He has harbored his desire to play at a top Champions League club, but the Hammers probably will try their best to convince him to stay put.