23 March 2023 , 06:44
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Declan Rice says he has been so focused on his own form, the plight of West Ham United and England’s next challenge that he now operates inside his own bubble.
“I don’t really know about anything that’s going on in the world at the minute,” he laughs, explaining he has disconnected himself from social and mainstream media.
So, just in case the words of one pundit passed him by, he was reminded that Graeme Souness said that truly elite midfielders “are creative … chip in with goals … have got a defensive head at all times” and then claimed Rice has “just one of them”.
Souness meant the latter of those, obviously. And despite claiming he can easily brush aside criticism, those remarks - and less than flattering comments from Roy Keane - clearly touched a nerve.
“It’s harsh,” says Rice. “I think it’s harsh because Souness doesn’t watch West Ham every week. There’s loads of West Ham fans, 60,000 go every week, and see what I do. So I think to say I’m only good at one of three is harsh.
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“Roy … has said some glowing things about me in the past and sometimes said some things that I can improve on as well. It’s one of those where you take it with a pinch of salt and try not to let it affect you that much.”
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Souness has criticised Rice for his performances this seasonBut, ahead of England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy in Naples, Rice, 24, knows his individual contributions are under scrutiny for several reasons.
His club is locked in a relegation battle, his contract expires at the end of next season, he has long been linked with a big move and, out at Qatar 2022, he voiced a burning desire to play Champions League football.
After the kerfuffle those remarks caused, he is not returning down that route and insisted his focus is purely on West Ham and England’s fortunes.
He says: “My club performances are probably getting looked at more because of where we are in the league and me being captain, which I can take on the chin.
“There have probably been some games recently when I probably haven’t been at my best but there have been other games when I have been at my best. There has always been loads of talk around my name.
"But for me, now I’m here, it’s about these two fixtures for England and, of course, when I get back to West Ham, it’s about playing the best I can for the club to get us out of the relegation battle and win the Conference League. That would be a special moment for me and the club.”
Rice has insisted he remains focused on helping West Ham escape relegation troubleQuite how special a Europa Conference League triumph would be is open for debate but an English win in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium would certainly fall into that category.
Rice says: “The record in Italy hasn’t been good and since the Euros, this will be the fourth time we have played them and we haven’t won yet. If we can go out there and put on a performance and win it will be a great marker of where we are at.
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“We’re in a hostile city, a hostile stadium and we’re ready to go. It’s going to be tough but after the World Cup, we genuinely believe we can beat anyone.”