Declan Rice rewarded as Thomas Tuchel makes big England decision
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is set to captain England in their friendly against Wales on Thursday at Wembley
Arsenal’s Declan Rice is set to receive recognition from England for his consistent high-level performances for his club. The 26-year-old has been a key player for both his club and country over the past few years and is now adding goals to his game.
This season, Rice has netted two goals and provided four assists in his 12 appearances, an impressive feat considering he was left out of three of Mikel Arteta’s starting line-ups. His performance levels have remained high thanks to adequate rest, although there were concerns about a back injury during last weekend’s victory over West Ham United.
Rice scored the opener against his former club but had to be substituted late in the game due to a back issue. There were doubts about his availability for England, but these were allayed when Arsenal announced that Martin Odegaard had withdrawn from the Norway squad and made no mention of Rice.
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He has arguably been England’s most consistent midfielder over the past few years, but it was Elliot Anderson who grabbed the headlines during the last international break despite Rice’s goal against Andorra and two assists in the resounding 5-0 victory over Serbia.
However, it’s clear that head coach Thomas Tuchel recognises Rice’s value, as he is set to captain the Three Lions in tonight’s friendly against Wales, with Harry Kane ruled out through injury, according to BBC Sport.
Rice donned the captain’s armband for England for the first time last year during their 1-0 loss to Brazil. The midfielder was appointed West Ham skipper in 2022 and has continued to be a pivotal leader following his switch to Arsenal the subsequent year.
“My opinion is clear, and it is the same as all the staff and the players,” the Spaniard confessed when confronted with the notion that Rice might make a superior captain than Odegaard.
“I asked them to vote [for] the captain yesterday and by a mile, by a mile, they all choose the same person, Martin Odegaard. Which is the most clear sign you can have of how the squad feel we can improve.”
Despite the Norway international being absent for a considerable portion of the past 12 months through injury, both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes have assumed the duties ahead of Rice.
That choice might stem from Arteta’s reluctance to burden Rice with additional responsibilities given what he already demands of him in both penalty areas.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
