Declan Rice Commends Myles Lewis-Skelly's Fearlessness Following Historic England Debut

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Declan Rice praised Myles Lewis-Skelly for his fearless performance during his historic debut for England. The 18-year-old Arsenal full-back scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win against Albania at Wembley, marking Thomas Tuchel's first match in charge. At 18 years and 176 days, Lewis-Skelly became England's youngest scoring debutant, surpassing Marcus Rashford's record set in May 2016.

Lewis-Skelly is now the third-youngest player to score for England, following Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. His Arsenal and England teammate, Rice, highlighted the young player's consistent excellence and fearlessness on the field. "That's on him: how much you want it and how much you want to keep going," Rice stated. "He needs to be hungry every day."

The Arsenal academy graduate has had a remarkable season, appearing 26 times for the Gunners since his first-team debut in September. Despite not knowing he would start until the day of the match, Lewis-Skelly delivered an impressive performance, showcasing his self-belief and potential for a long career.

Thomas Tuchel also commended Lewis-Skelly's display, noting his confidence and maturity both on and off the pitch. "He is full of confidence and full of humour," said Tuchel. "Everything you see on the pitch you see off the pitch; he does it with a natural confidence."

Rice emphasised that Lewis-Skelly is now a valuable asset for both club and country. He encouraged him to remain true to himself at Arsenal and with England while continuing to push his limits. "He needs to keep being himself around the training ground at Arsenal, around England, and keep pushing himself," Rice added.

As England prepares to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier in Group K on Monday, all eyes will be on Lewis-Skelly to see if he can maintain his impressive form. His breakthrough season has already set high expectations for what lies ahead in his promising career.