Declan Rice on England's World Cup Hopes and Avoiding Golden Generation Mistakes
The Arsenal midfielder believes the current England squad is more united than the 'golden generation' of Rooney, Beckham, and Gerrard.
Rice could go to the tournament on the back of Arsenal's best season, with a Premier League and Champions League title still in play...
Declan Rice is bracing for a wild ride with England at the World Cup, saying fans will swing from hating him one minute to loving him the next as the team chases its first title in 60 years.
The Arsenal midfielder is set to play a central role under Thomas Tuchel when the tournament starts in June. He knows how quickly public opinion can shift and expects the emotional ups and downs that come with it.
England did see better results under Gareth Southgate, but their sole major trophy is still the 1966 World Cup they won at home.
Rice and the squad are carrying the weight of ending that wait. Their campaign kicks off against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, on June 17.
Rice, capped 72 times by England, said: “The biggest challenge is dealing with everything that comes with being an England player.
“It's going to be the most-watched football event of the last four years. One minute you're going to be hated, one minute you're going to be loved.
“It always changes in football. You've just got to take it with a pinch of salt.”
England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Rio Ferdinand dominated at club level but repeatedly fell short on the international stage.
Some of those players later said it was hard to set aside club rivalries when they joined up with the national team.
Rice told British Vogue he doesn’t see that being an issue now. He believes the current England group gets along far better.
“Whether it's through social media or in real life, you can see that there's a real connection between us,” he said.
“You obviously hear about the older generation talking about how they didn't get on and how they couldn't connect and play together.
“But I think with us, that's why, over the last few years with England, we've done so well, because we're close on and off the pitch.
“We obviously all play against each other, but football's not like that any more. A lot of people have best friends from opposite teams, and spend a lot of time with players from opposite teams. With England, we all get on. We always look forward to seeing each other. It's a nice getaway.”
Rice might head to the World Cup riding the momentum of Arsenal’s best season yet.
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The Gunners can secure their first Premier League title since 2004 if they win their final two matches against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Mikel Arteta’s side are also in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, with a chance to lift Europe’s top prize for the first time.
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