Declan Rice has hit back at his former Ireland teammate James McClean afterthe Arsenal midfielder was castigated for his performance against Denmark.
The Gunners’ record £100 million signing enjoyed a stellar debut campaign for last season’s Premier League runners-up with Mikel Arteta helping elevate the former West Ham captain’s game to another level.
Rice’s displays for England over the opening two games of Euro 2024 have, however, by his own admission not been up to scratch.
The 25-year-old looked particularly off the pace in last week’s 1-1 draw against Denmark and he has struggled to strike up a rapport with his new partner in England’s engine room, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Gareth Southgate looks set to call a halt to his self-confessed ‘experiment’ with the Liverpool right back but Rice will retain his place in the Three Lions’ engine room.
Rice will be hope to deliver a more accomplished performance alongside Conor Gallagher but he won’t be using the words of Mclean, who called him ‘overrated’ as fuel for motivation.
‘Do you know what?’ said Rice. ‘I played with James for Ireland for three games and I got on with him really well.
‘I think Declan Rice is very overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a very good footballer but the way the English media wax lyrical about him, I think it’s completely over the top.
‘For me, he’s not world class. World class to me is someone who gets in every single side in the world and I don’t think he does that.
‘I don’t think he gets in the Manchester City side ahead of Rodri. I don’t think… Kroos is now retired but, to me, Toni Kroos is world class, he dictates the game. Rodri dictates the game. I don’t think Declan Rice does that.
‘He’s not someone who is going to get on the half turn, play passes forward. He’s very good at what he does.’
‘I am not going to sit here and slag him off. I thought he was a really top guy.
‘When I left Ireland to come to England, I heard a few things he was obviously not happy about. He made comments a few years ago.
‘It is what it is. I am not going to sit here and say anything about him. He’s had a great career himself.
‘I think he is coming to the end of his career now and he’s got over a hundred caps for Ireland.
‘It would be easy for me to sit here and say something back to him but, like I said, we are at opposite ends of our careers now – he’s 35 and I’m 25.
‘I’ve known him, I’ve played with him, he’s entitled to his opinion and I’ve had to fight a load of those opinions from other people before.’
