Declan Rice admits he had an “average” World Cup before England face Spain
The Arsenal midfielder says a 69-game season left him short of his best at the World Cup. He says his break from England in September and October helped him return stronger for Sunday's Nations League match against Spain in Madrid.
England midfielder Declan Rice says he had an "average" World Cup by his own standards, the Guardian reported. The 27-year-old played 69 games last season. They included a title win with Arsenal and a Champions League final defeat before the tournament. "It's annoying because at the World Cup you want to be at your best, you want to be totally fresh," Rice said. Rice named the third-place playoff against France, in which he scored, as probably his best game. He also played well against DR Congo in the last 32, finishing the game as an emergency right-back. He said he looks back on the semi-final defeat to Argentina and the group game against Ghana and wonders if he could have done better. According to the Guardian, he managed nerve pain in a hamstring through the second half of last season. The pain also affected his lower back. Rice said he "did not feel right at all" after playing the full 90 minutes of Arsenal's defeat at Brighton on September 19. Coach Thomas Tuchel then stood him down from England's first four Nations League matches. They included the 3-2 home loss to Spain at Wembley. Rice said Tuchel was "really understanding" and told him…
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