Declan Rice is England’s midfield leader

Declan Rice will be one of the first names on the team sheet for England at the World Cup this summer. He has been a mainstay for the Three Lions since making his debut in 2019 and is an experienced veteran and vocal leader for Thomas Tuchel’s squad. He played nearly every minute of England’s five-match 2022 World Cup campaign, and his 72 caps will be second or third-most among outfield players on the team.

Declan Rice is a unicorn. His blend of speed and strength, on-field intelligence and tactical flexibility makes him arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the world, particularly if you value defensive contributions. He can play in a double-pivot, as a box-to-box or as a hybrid 6/8.

Tuchel deploys Rice in the double pivot, most recently next to Elliot Anderson. That pairing will likely start the World Cup opener as the midfield two in Tuchel’s preferred 4-2-3-1. Rice has also played on the left side of a midfield three in a 4-3-3. In possession, that formation turns into a 4-2-4 or 3-3-4 with a fullback pushing up.

Wherever he lines up, Rice’s ability to play centrally and cover so much of the pitch in transition allows a player like Morgan Rogers or Jude Bellingham license to find pockets of space and create overloads without having to worry as much about maintaining a more rigid structure or shouldering significant defensive responsibility.

At the club level, Rice joined Arsenal for a team-record transfer fee of £105M three years ago and immediately became a key piece in what has been the best defense in Europe, playing most frequently in a double-pivot alongside Martín Zubimendi this season.

Both Mikel Arteta and Tuchel have recognized that Declan Rice is at his best when the setup allows him the freedom to read the game, roam around and turn up where he is needed to win the ball. His influence starts and is most felt in the attacking and middle third, where he is exceptionally good at stopping attacks before they start. When attackers lose the ball, they often get it right back because Declan Rice beat someone to a loose ball, won a 50-50 or cut out a pass. When things break down, Declan Rice makes the lung-busting recovery run to clean up the mess. He’s an eraser—when his teammates make mistakes, he fixes them.

Since joining Arsenal, Rice has improved his attacking output year-over-year, going from a handful of goal involvements per season at West Ham to consistently in the 15-20 G+A range in all competitions in north London. Those totals are helped by his set piece prowess. Arsenal wouldn’t be the best from corners in the Premier League without his right-footed, in-swingers, a duty you’d expect him to pick up for England at the World Cup. He’s also a threat to score from the dead ball—remember his stunning free kick double against Real Madrid last season?

If you had to find a weakness, it’d be passing. He’s an average distributor. He’s unlikely to give the ball away but he’s also not going to thread a killer progressive pass through two or three defenders to platform a teammate. He’s much more likely to open things up by carrying the ball into space, eating up ground with his long, powerful strides.

England aren’t the odds-on favorite to win the World Cup, but they are among the contenders. Since their win in 1966, they’ve failed to live up to often unrealistic expectations. This time around, however, they’re deserved. The Three Lions have finished runners up in the last two Euros.

Shielded by Rice, England are among the best defenses in the world and have the most in-form striker in Harry Kane. Many will expect them to make the final and anything short of a semifinal would be a disappointment.

Verizon fuels soccer culture and community impact year-round - uniting fans, supporting local businesses and creating unforgettable moments that celebrate the global game.