Declan Rice is preparing for England's last-32 World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reflecting on the resilience required after Arsenal's Premier League title triumph. The midfielder missed England's group-stage match against Panama due to a hamstring injury, ending his run of 21 consecutive tournament starts for England.
Rice's season-defining moment
Rice recalled the pivotal moment of his season when Arsenal faced Manchester City in mid-April. After a narrow defeat, TV cameras captured Rice shaking his head and mouthing 'It's not done.' Arsenal went on to win all remaining league games, securing the title for the first time since 2004. 'It could have gone either way,' Rice said. 'That would have lived with me for ever.'
The midfielder drew parallels to Steven Gerrard's famous 'We do not let this slip' comment in 2014, acknowledging the fine margins in pursuit of rare achievement. 'Luckily, it went the way I wanted it to be perceived, even though it was crazy how that all came about,' he added.
England's tactical challenge
England face DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday, expecting a tightly packed defence similar to what they encountered against Ghana and Panama. Rice, part of a midfield trio with Jude Bellingham and Elliot Anderson, noted the need for patience against low blocks. 'When you play against low blocks you have a structure the manager wants you to play in,' he said. 'Sometimes you have to do something for the good of the team, even though you feel like you don't want to do it.'
DR Congo impressed in the group stage, holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw and losing only 1-0 to Colombia before beating Uzbekistan 3-1. They feature Premier League players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Noah Sadiki, and Yoane Wissa. Rice acknowledged the difficulty: 'It's going to be tough and we need to be ready for everything that comes.'
Injury management and recovery
Rice has been managing neural pain in his hamstring since Christmas, which forced him off in the 72nd minute of England's World Cup opener against Croatia. He played the full 90 minutes against Ghana but sustained a 'dead calf' that caused swelling for three days, leading to his absence against Panama. 'It's strange because you can just feel it like sitting there,' Rice explained. 'It's not a pain that happens just during football. You could be sat at home and you'd feel a little pain shoot up your leg.'
He added: 'I played the Champions League final, had a week completely off-feet, where I did nothing, and then I got myself back into a rhythm. The body had a little bit of a shock. Once this season's done, I'll get my rest and I'm sure I'll go into next season fine.'
Elliot Anderson and penalty confidence
Rice has developed a quick relationship with Anderson, who joined the England setup last September. He offered advice on handling the record-breaking £116m transfer fee, saying: 'He can't control the price he's going for. But why he's going for that price is because he's been one of the best players in Europe this season. The price tag is just noise.'
On penalties, Rice expressed confidence in England's squad. 'I look at this group now and I don't think there's a better crop of penalty-takers that England have probably ever had,' he said, naming Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and himself. 'You hear the stat about how you have to win a penalty shootout to get to a final or win the tournament, so you know that might come along. We're going to be fully prepared for that.'
