Following a successful season for Arsenal, Declan Rice has once again demonstrated his leadership qualities for England.

 

The Gunners midfielder will start in the middle of England’s midfield on Sunday when they play Serbia in Group C of the Euro 2024 competition. Rice has now captained the Three Lions for 52 games.

 

Rice’s contributions were crucial to Arsenal’s 2024–2025 title run, as Mikel Arteta’s team finished two points behind champion Manchester City. Now, as England looks to win just their second major international title in Germany to compete for Euro glory, the 25-year-old will be trying to assist.

When questioned by UEFA prior to kickoff about his thoughts on the tournament, Rice was upfront about them before the match in Gelsenkirchen.

 

“Simply thrilling. It is difficult to remain composed and control your emotions because it is such a big game, as you can see by the way we entered the stadium and the overall atmosphere,” he remarked.

“Preparation has been amazing, and there is only one thing on the mind tonight, and that is to win.”