To listen to Declan Rice in the countdown to England’s final Group C tie against Slovenia on Tuesday night was to be stirred, inspired. The way that the midfielder told it, the team will be markedly different to what we have seen so far at Euro 2024.
There will be greater freedom of spirit, more energy, a determined front-foot approach that will feature a new pressing style. Rice, recently installed as one of the squad’s four leadership group members, hit all the right notes, the exuberance and positivity of his personality shining through.
