Declan Rice is sure that England’s many world-class players will make their World Cup opponents nervous.
The Three Lions quickly made it out of Group B after getting seven out of a possible nine points and beating both Iran and Wales easily.
England’s second group game against the U.S. was a more challenging test, and Gareth Southgate’s team is likely to face another formidable opponent, Senegal, in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Still, as part of England’s preparation for the game, Declan Rice told the media that he’s sure the quality of Southgate’s 26-player squad will show and that there’s no reason why the Three Lions shouldn’t be feared as the World Cup moves into the knockout stages.
“Other countries will look at how good we are. Why shouldn’t they be afraid of us?” Rice also hinted that he might not stay with West Ham United for the long term. “If you look at how good we are at attacking, we are world-class. We have players in every position who have won the most trophies.
“It’s up to us to show that to be true. Countries like France have already done this. We don’t just want to make it to the final 16. We want to win the whole thing.”
Because England has so much talent, Southgate must decide if he wants to keep Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden in his starting lineup. He put them in for Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling against Wales, but he must now decide if he wants to keep them there.
Both players scored in England’s 3-0 win, but Rice said that no matter who is picked, the players will always back each other.
“What’s great about our group here is that we all help each other out so much,” he said. “It must be hard for the manager to choose, but I know that everyone will cheer for each other no matter who he picks. Now, everyone has to work together.
“I think the competition for spots is very good. It’s always nice to know that you can bring in players who can change the game immediately. We have world-class players who can do that, and you need that in a World Cup.
“Competition is great, and I’d do anything to win the World Cup. So if that means someone comes and helps, that’s all that matters. We all want to reach the same place.”
