Rice 'honoured' to play with Kane as he lifts lid on England skipper's WC impact

England v Croatia: Group L - FIFA World Cup 2026

Arsenal and England star Declan Rice has paid a glowing tribute to international team-mate Harry Kane, admitting it has been an "honour" to play alongside the prolific striker. The dynamic midfielder revealed how Kane actively drives standards within the England camp as the Three Lions look to secure a place in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Captain nears historic milestone

The England squad are preparing for another crucial group fixture following an entertaining 4-2 opening victory over Croatia. During last week's triumph, 32-year-old skipper Kane netted a vital brace to draw level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals. When he takes to the pitch on Tuesday against Ghana, the talismanic striker will secure his 116th senior cap, moving past David Beckham into outright third place on the nation's all-time men's appearance list.

England v Costa Rica - International Friendly

'It has been an honour'

Rice emphasised how fortunate the current generation of players feel to share a dressing room with such a historic goalscorer. Rice said: "For me, he is one of those players you'll be telling the kids when you're older that you got to play with Harry Kane. For me, that's how good he is. He's one of those players.

"I'm very fortunate. One, he's our captain, but two: how he leads by example every day, how he pushes in training. It is not a surprise to me how good he is just because of the goals he scores in training, what he's been doing at Bayern Munich, what he's been doing in an England shirt. It has been an honour to play with him. I'm very lucky that I get to play with a striker like him."

Squad targets maximum motivation

The Bayern forward has utilised his leadership to keep the squad focused and prevent complacency after their positive start. Rice revealed that Kane explicitly reminded the team of a recurring pattern where opening victories at Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024 were all immediately followed by frustrating stalemates in their second fixtures.

He added: "We are just as motivated, if not more motivated to want to win. Harry spoke about it earlier: the last couple of tournaments, we've drawn the second game. We want to go in knowing we are full throttle, ready to go because we know what position that puts us in."

England v Croatia: Group L - FIFA World Cup 2026

Knockout spot up for grabs

Thomas Tuchel's side face a resilient Ghana outfit in Foxborough, Massachusetts, knowing a victory will officially guarantee their place in the next round. While the African nation presents a unique physical challenge under experienced boss Carlos Queiroz, England enter the game in formidable attacking form. Securing three points, coupled with a favourable result for Croatia in their clash with Panama, would mathematically seal top spot in Group L before the final matchday.