England Euro 2024: How Will Declan Rice Impact England's Euro 2024 Journey?

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England manager Gareth Southgate named a 33-player provisional squad for the upcoming 2024 Summer European Championship and made some big choices. But the inclusion of Declan Rice should not be a difficult choice for him, as the Arsenal star has been in great form throughout the last season.

England is placed in Group C along with Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia. They will start their Euro journey on June 16 with a fixture against Serbia. Given the recent performances and big names in the squad, it should not be a difficult task for the English to top the group, but their real battle will begin in the knockouts.

Despite being among the favourites, the English team has a lacklustre history in the European Championship. Their highest achievement in this tournament was being the runners-up in the last Euro, where they lost to Italy in the final. This season, with a squad full of stars in every position, the Three Lions will certainly try to improve their records.

Declan Rice: A Glance at the Midfield Juggernaut

The 25-year-old English defensive midfielder had a fruitful season with English Premier League side Arsenal. Rice also voted second behind Phil Foden as the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

The English youngster joined the London-based club last year at an overwhelming price tag of $100 million from West Ham. In 2017, Rice established himself as a key first-team player for the Hammers, and later he also captained the club. In 2023, he led West Ham to a UEFA Europa Conference League title.

Prior to 2019, Rice represented the Republic of Ireland internationally at both youth and senior levels, and later he changed his national allegiance and made his debut for England in 2019.

The defensive midfielder is known for his athleticism and ability to tackle. He is also known for his consistency and sense of positioning. In recent times, he has proven himself to be a more complete midfielder with ball-carrying capacity and the ability to score from long range.

Euro 2024: What Impact Will Declan Rice Have on the England Squad?

Just like the last Euro and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Rice is expected to be a starter in every match, given that he will remain injury-free. With star players like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka in the attack, Rice will dictate the midfield, along with Jude Bellingham on the left and Trent Alexander-Arnold or Mason Mount on the right.

He can also be used as a double pivot along with John Stones, which allows him to play a more advanced role. His ability to control the midfield and pace of the game, along with giving extra support to the defence, made him an indispensable element of the squad.

Despite winning a European trophy in his last season with the Hammers, this season he failed to repeat the same, as Arsenal fell short of putting their hands on any silverware. Along with his fellow Gunner, Bukayo Saka, he is expected to provide the necessary depth to the already star-studded squad to lead the Three Lions to their first-ever European victory.