Former Manchester City man Micah Richards has said he feels sorry for England star Declan Rice. He stated the Arsenal star has not had the opportunity to form a midfield partnership with any of his peers, which has made it difficult to perform up to his potential in the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024).
England boss Gareth Southgate has gotten a lot of flak for failing to make his team click. Many have suggested drastic changes, asking the manager to drop Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane. Southgate, however, has not listened to his critics. He has only made changes to the pivot position.
He started the tournament with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, pairing him up with Rice. Southgate then switched to Conor Gallagher before giving Kobbie Mainoo a slot alongside Rice for the EURO 2024 Round-of-16 clash against Slovakia on Sunday (June 30). Having already played with three different midfielders in four games, Rice has not had the opportunity to create a strong bond with his midfield partner.
Micah Richards Feels ‘Sorry’ For England Ace Declan Rice
After the Three Lions’ narrow 2-1 victory over Slovakia, Richards claimed the constant shuffling has been difficult for Rice. He said it was the reason why the midfielder had not been at his best in EURO 2024.
Speaking on The Rest is Football, the ex-England defender said (via Metro):
“I feel a little bit sorry for Declan Rice. You’re looking for relationships on the field. He’s played a couple of games with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, then Gallagher, then Mainoo. It’s hard for him.
“Everyone’s saying, ‘We’ll have Rice and then we’ll have Bellingham’, but he needs that continuity to know what they want to do and how he wants to play. So, although I don’t think he had his best game Rice, it’s going to be difficult for him because he’s constantly having a different partner in there.”
Rice was unlucky in England’s win over Slovakia in EURO 2024 Round-of-16, hitting the post in the 81st minute. He hit the ball cleanly from outside the area, catching Martin Dubravka out. However, the post denied the Three Lions their equalizer. The leveler ultimately came through a Jude Bellingham overhead kick in the fifth minute of injury time. Then in extra time, Harry Kane dispatched a fine header from close range to make it 2-1 for England.
