Declan Rice expresses that leading England in his 50th appearance during Tuesday night’s friendly against Belgium at Wembley will be a surreal moment for him.
Since his debut in 2019, the 25-year-old Arsenal midfielder has emerged as a pivotal player for the Three Lions squad.
With Harry Kane and Kyle Walker sidelined due to injuries, he assumes the role of captain for the team.
“On my 50th cap, to walk out at Wembley in front of my family and friends, it is a great honour – I’m a bit speechless,” Rice said.
“It is a pinch-me moment, it will be an honour. I was absolutely lost for words when he [Gareth Southgate] said to me I was going to be captain.”
It is almost exactly five years since Rice made his England debut against the Czech Republic, having switched his international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland for whom he appeared on three occasions.
During that time he has helped England reach the final of the 2020 European Championship and the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I have grown so much as a player and person since I first came into the group,” he added.
“As time has gone on I’ve played more big games, more games at major tournaments. I have enjoyed every moment.”
Toney set to start as absentees mount
During the March international break, England manager Gareth Southgate has faced several injury setbacks.
In addition to Kane and Walker, Harry Maguire and Sam Johnstone will also miss Tuesday evening’s match. Furthermore, players such as Bukayo Saka, Luke Shaw, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the absentees.
While this situation provides opportunities for others to prove their worth ahead of the Euros in Germany this summer, it presents far from ideal circumstances for the England manager.
“It is an incredible number who are unavailable to us,” Southgate said.
“I haven’t experienced that before, but it means there are opportunities for other people.
“You can’t worry about what we haven’t got. You’ve got to move forward. There’s a lot of different reasons for those injuries.”
Southgate has confirmed that Jude Bellingham is fit despite being substituted due to cramp during the match against Brazil on Saturday. Additionally, forwards Cole Palmer and Ivan Toney, midfielder James Maddison, and defender Jarrad Branthwaite are also in contention for selection.
Toney, who received his first England call-up since completing an eight-month suspension for breaching FA betting regulations, will feature for the national team for the first time since making his debut exactly a year ago.
“Ivan will be involved in the game for sure,” Southgate added. “I have to say, with everything that’s happened, the original idea or plan for the week is a little bit different.
“We’re probably finding out about more players but that’s really helpful. To see all those players against high-level opposition will help us make better decisions moving forward.”