Gareth Southgate confirms England's new captain for Belgium clash after losing Harry Kane and Kyle Walker to injury

Posted Tuesday, March 26, 2024 by Goal.com

England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed Declan Rice will captain the Three Lions on Tuesday against Belgium at Wembley Stadium.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Rice will captain England for the first time on Tuesday when the Three Lions take on Belgium at Wembley. The Arsenal midfielder has been handed the armband due to injuries to Harry Kane and Kyle Walker, who have both been ruled out of the match. It will certainly be a memorable night for Rice against Belgium as he will also make his 50th appearance for England.

WHAT RICE SAID
He told reporters: "I'm speechless to be honest with you, absolutely lost for words. I think when he told me last night I was going to be captain, I gave him a hug, shook his hand and said thank you very much. I owe him a lot. Since I first came into the team he's always made me feel at home, I always felt so comfortable playing under him. I've really grown in confidence. To walk out at Wembley on my 50th cap in front of my friends and family, it's an absolute honour. I think you can see from my face - bit speechless to be honest with you."

WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID
He told a news conference: "Declan is here. It's his 50th cap. He has great leadership experience already at a tender age. I think it's a brilliant opportunity for some of our young players to show leadership and to experience that. Some of our core group Kane, Trippier, Walker, Maguire are not with us. So a different feel about the group, different dynamic and that's a great opportunity for other people to step up, to lead, to grow and that's important. A lot of the players involved are the future of the team as well for the mid and long term. And the more of those experiences they can have is useful for everybody."

THE BIGGER PICTURE
The decision to hand Rice the captaincy comes during an impressive season for the midfielder. Rice has become a key figure for Arsenal, scoring six goals and contributing five assists to their Premier League title challenge. He's also an integral figure at international level and will be hoping he can lead England to victory on Tuesday night.

WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND
Tuesday's match is England's last friendly before Southgate names his final squad for Euro 2024. The absence of some key men does offer the opportunity for players to stake a late claim for a place on the plane ahead of the summer's tournament in Germany.