Declan Rice's England comments 'cringing to hear': 'Arsenal boys should be so angry'

03/25/2025 12:21 PM

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has been criticised for some of his comments made while on England duty, with suggestions they highlight an issue for both club and country.

The 26-year-old is a regular for both, with Rice recently marking the sixth anniversary of his England debut.

The midfielder remains a regular for the national team, and featured in both games during the March international break.

However some of the comments he made after England beat Albania 2-0 in Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge on Friday (21 March) have not gone down well in some quarters, namely Troy Deeney.

Troy Deeney stunned by Declan Rice admission

Speaking after that win over Albania, Rice revealed that Tuchel has asked him to be more demanding of his teammates in the centre of the pitch, potentially making them more “uncomfortable”.

The Arsenal star also suggested he can be “too nice” with the England squad one that seemingly has no factions or groups between players from the same clubs within it.

Deeney was unimpressed that Tuchel has had to make that request of Rice. When asked about those comments from the midfielder, the former Watford and Birmingham striker told talkSPORT: “It’s cringing to hear honestly, it’s cringing to hear.

“Because you’re playing football and the aim of the game is to win. So you can be friends off the pitch, you can be friends when you win, you can be friends in disagreements, but if we don’t win and win to a level that we’re expected to be, I’m allowed to say ‘Oi, do better’. And you are allowed to say ‘Troy, effing score’. And afterwards you win, and no one cares.

“This group of players are so talented, extraordinary. But the demands and the expectations between the groups, when you see it in the Premier League and you see it now, it’s like ‘Oh we’re all friends and we’re all asking for shirts and we all want to do these weird and wonderful things’. How about just go out and be who you are.

“Declan is an actual lovely guy, but he came up in a West Ham team that had Mark Noble. Mark Noble would have held him to account. So he’s seen it and he’s done it, but the problem is it’s not natural for these people.

“Why do you think everyone watches Roy Keane now? Because everything he says is what we’re thinking.”

With Arsenal having also fallen short on several occasions in the hunt for silverware recently, Deeney feels that niceness may be affecting the Gunners too, as he later added: “That’s why I go back to the earlier point with Declan Rice.

“You’ve seen it now and the Arsenal boys should be so angry internally. Yes they have moved the club exponentially forward and yes, they’re challenging all the time, but you’re not getting over the hump.

“So maybe you have to look at yourself and go ‘what do I have to do a little bit differently’. And that’s clearly the thing: be a bit nastier.”

Arsenal and England must be more ruthless

Football Insider Verdict

On Monday night (24 March) England beat Latvia 3-0 in their second fixture of this international break, although they again seemed to lack a cutting edge for significant parts of that game.

As a result, having someone who demands more as Rice is being asked to do under this new regime makes sense.

The lack of intent to go for a second goal arguably cost England in their defeats in each of the last two Euros finals when Gareth Southgate was in charge.

Adding that extra demand may have seen the Three Lions push on further and claim a bigger prize, so it makes sense that instinct is being drilled into them now.

At club level too, Arsenal have not taken advantage of certain situations as much as they should have done, and some may feel that is due to the lack of a killer edge.

Indeed, that camaraderie among players from different clubs that appears to be greater now than ever before takes an edge of games that can cost certain sides.

So if Rice can start to now add that to his game under Tuchel, it may be to the benefit of both Arsenal and England.

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